Poketalia Edition: Amethyst
by Hebi-Kazechi-10
Summary: Emil moves into a new town and is immediately introduced to a bunch of new people. However, on the way of getting his new Pokemon, an organization named Team World threatens to place everything in jeopardy. Will he be able to stop this new menace and be able to shine as the best Pokemon trainer? Rated T for swearing and themes. Pokemon x Hetalia crossover.
1. Welcome to the World of Pokemon!

**Heya, guys! It's just lil' ol' me, and I'm here with a new story.**

**To those who followed me on my DeviantArt account, they'd probably know what this story is then, and what it might be about. Basically, I created an MMD Hetalia picture with Pokemon, and I was inspired.**

**The protagonist is Iceland/Emil, and he's off on his own journey in the world of Pokemon! 8D**

**This doesn't mean that Shine! won't be updated, think of it as I have two things to work with, and when I do one, I might do the other once I complete the other one, or run out of juice and don't know what else to do. Hey, I might get a spark of inspiration as well. :D**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy~ w**

* * *

"_**This world is widely inhabited by creatures known as Pokémon. We humans live alongside Pokémon, at times playing together as friends, and at times helping one another out. And sometimes, we just like to have fun battling others like us. **_

_**But as close as we are, we don't know everything about Pokémon. In fact, there are still many, many mysteries surround Pokémon."**_

Emil glanced down at his game, his violet eyes gazing down at the screen as some light seeped through the door of the moving truck. He wrinkled his nose as he leaned back on the red couch that he was lying on while an Azurill doll was settled at his feet. _'We're almost there,' _he thought to himself. _'Almost there to Heima Town…"_

And indeed, the Icelandic boy couldn't help but feel a bit nervous – he was moving into a new place, and that would mean having to start all over.

At age sixteen, such changes may not be so easy.

Still, Emil was hoping that he wouldn't be singled out or found as weird. He was very behind back home when it came to trends, and he did get teased for it a couple of times. Still, the silver-haired Icelander decided to give up on that and just stuck with his own style. Currently, he was wearing a blue sweater vest and a white shirt that was rolled to his elbows, black pants, and a pair of white, laced up boots.

All of a sudden, the truck stopped after giving a hiss and shook slightly as it parked.

As a result, Emil fell off the couch with a loud thump and a yelp.

Giving a groan, the Icelandic boy rubbed the back of his head before scooping up his reading glasses and folded them onto the front of his shirt. However, as soon as the back of the moving truck's doors opened, he blinked before taking a step forward.

His heart was racing in his chest as he began to wonder what his new home would be like.

Jumping out of the moving truck, Emil looked up to see clear blue skies with puffy clouds sailing by breezily. There were green trees that swayed lazily with the light gale, and the houses consisted of brown, tin roofs, fences made of stone, and a grey, marble ground. Emil could also see more trees that were lining around the collection of houses that scattered neatly in the town.

"Emil, you're here at last."

Emil shifted his eyes from the sky onto a slender young man with short, light blonde hair and dull blue eyes. He was wearing a Nordic Cross barrette in his hair, yellow wristbands, a long-sleeved blue and white coat with a dark necktie, grey pants, black boots and a dark brown storage pack along his left shoulder and waist of his coat. Interestingly enough, there was a detached hair curl that was floating alongside his head (along with a dot).

Despite looking quite emotionless, his sapphires were filled with brotherly concern, "Wasn't it tough riding in the back of the moving truck?" He came forward to place a hand on the boy's face to check him closely.

Emil shook his head as he swatted at the blonde's hand, "No, no, I'm fine, Lukas!" He couldn't but feel a bit annoyed; his older brother tended to baby him quite a lot despite the fact that he was no longer a child. "Don't worry, I'm okay."

Lukas gave a small nod at his little brother before stepping back to give his little brother some space to breathe. "So, what do you think?" he asked as he gestured to the town. "This is going to be our new home. It has a quaint feel, but it looks like it should be a nice place to live in, don't you think?"

Emil nodded as he focused on his surroundings, still in awe at how peaceful it looked, and how nice the breeze felt against his tousled, silver hair. He couldn't help but stare around some more before feeling his brother gently pull his arm towards a house that had a golden mail slot at the front.

The house had a red brown tin roof and its structure consisted of bricks that were golden brown. The door had a golden knocker on its oaken surface, and there was what appeared to be a little tree at the front as well.

Coming inside, Emil saw that the floors were made of wooden planks while the ones at the kitchen were pale tiles. The walls were of a royal blue, and the windows were clear. The fridge and television were already set up. There were also two Machokes that were running around – fixing some of the furniture. One was placing the table neatly over a woven, pink carpet with floral patterns on it, and another was fixing a cabinet and arranging the glasses in a nice order.

Lukas couldn't help but feel amused at his little brother giving his rapt attention on the two Pokémon that were helping with the moving.

Initially, Emil wasn't really looking that forward to moving, and Lukas understood how he felt. Especially since his little brother was no longer a kid, and he was of that age where he would get his first Pokémon, too.

"See, Emil?" the blonde remarked. "Isn't it nice in here, too?"

Emil rubbed the back of his head as he admitted, "Yeah…I guess it looks nice…"

"The moving company's Pokémon even help with the unpacking and clean-up," added Lukas. "They really make moving easy."

"Choke! Machoke."

Turning around, Lukas saw that the two Superpower Pokémon were looming down at him. Emil glanced around at behind the Fighting-type Pokémon, and saw that they had completed with their job.

"Thank you for all the hard work," Lukas said. Though he appeared as nonchalant as ever, Emil knew that his older brother was sincere with his words. "We really appreciate it."

The first Machoke gave a nod as he left. The second one, meanwhile, stopped and surveyed Emil up and down curiously.

Emil couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious under the Pokémon's gaze, however hearing the first Machoke gave a loud call for its partner, the second Machoke simply gave a nod, appearing happier than usual before giving a friendly chirp of goodbye.

"You should go and see your new room upstairs, Emil," Lukas suggested.

Emil simply nodded as he climbed the stairs and entered a room where, to his surprise, everything was already set up. His TV, his computer, his bed, a large, red couch and also his drawers. There was also a clock that was placed on his desk. "Looks like I'll have to set the time," he mumbled to himself. "What time is it?" Glancing at his watch, he saw that it was still only in the morning – around eleven.

After fixing the clock and checking that his things were truly packed away and in order, Emil came back downstairs to see that his big brother was actually already preparing what appeared to be lunch. The blue-eyed blonde sliced cheeses and onions along with tomatoes as he prepared what appeared to be open sandwiches. He was also humming quietly to himself.

However, hearing Emil walking inside, Lukas turned his head and murmured, "So, everything is in order in your room, then?"

Emil nodded, "_Ja_."

"That's good," Lukas nodded himself. "It really is quite nice to have Pokémon help us around."

"Are you okay there?" Emil asked as he pointed at the food that Lukas was preparing. "Do you…need some help?" However, his brother shook his head.

"I'm perfectly fine," Lukas responded in a calm tone. "Why don't you step out and say hello to the neighbours?"

"Neighbours?" Emil repeated, looking confused at first. However, he became taken aback when his mind processed with what his brother's words. Feeling his stomach began to squirm in knots from nervousness, he immediately made sure to keep himself cool so as not to appear nervous or fresh prey to who he'll meet.

"_Ja_, neighbours," Lukas couldn't help but feel amused at his little brother going rigid. It was clear that he was a little nervous and self-conscious, and it was adorable. "There are a couple of kids around your age here."

Emil however bristled, "Don't treat me as if I'm a child."

Lukas however couldn't help the chuckle in his throat as his baby brother immediately made for the door and swung it open.

He was immediately met with two smiling faces.

One belonged to a young man, the other belonged to a girl.

The young man had short, brown hair and his eyes were closed. He also had a curl on the left side of his head, though unlike Lukas, it was stuck to his head. He was also wearing a brown jumper, some plaid pants, and a black tie. The girl, on the other hand, was dark-skinned with even darker coloured hair that was tied into two pigtails with red ribbons. She had warm, brown eyes, and was wearing what appeared to be a white jacket with yellow at the top, blue and white shorts, a blue tank-top that showed her stomach, and pink and blue running shoes. Emil noticed that she also had what appeared to be plasters on her knees.

"Welcome to Heima Town!" the girl spoke up cheerfully. "My name's Michelin! Hello there, neighbour!"

"_Ve_~ and I'm Feliciano! It's great to meet you! _Ciao_~!" the brown-haired boy chirped in a very noticeable Italian accent. He then bounced forward and kissed both of Emil's cheeks, causing the Icelandic boy to splutter as his face turned red from the very close physical contact.

"N-nice to meet you, too…" Emil was able to stammer out as he felt his face burn.

"Guess what?" Feliciano bounced back to his spot. "We've come to get you!"

"G-get me?" Emil asked in surprise. "For what?"

"The esteemed Professor Katyusha lives in the town of Pochatok," explained Michelin with a reassuring smile. "I was told she has a request for five kids, including us." She then rubbed her chin in thought, "But I'm a little surprised she knows who you are – you did just move to Heima, after all."

Emil blinked, "Excuse me?"

"We'll wait for you in the next town over!" Feliciano piped up. "And you know what?! _Ve~ _we're going to get…a Pokémon! C'mon! Hurry!" The Italian boy then started pulling at the Icelandic boy's arm and began yanking at Michelin's arms as well. Then, he started pulling them before sprinting out of Heima town.

Lukas could only chuckle as he saw the commotion of what was happening through his window. He simply continued with making the food for lunch as soon as his little brother would get back home.

As Feliciano was pulling both Emil and Michelin in direction to the town's only exist, Emil caught sight of the sign. _'Heiwa Town, a town whose flower is about to bloom,' _the Icelandic boy read to himself as the Italian continued to pull them away. Much to Emil's surprise, there was no sign of tall grass on the path that they were running on. Instead, there was an array of trees that were swaying easily as the breeze continued to pick up.

They must've looked really funny, though – a sudden, rushing source of three kids who were running along the peace of the trees and the flowers. Emil could also see what appeared to be a little flock of Fletchling twittering up in the blue sky – their orange feathers contrasting well against the big, blue expanse.

However, it wasn't long before Emil could see what appeared to be an arch made from yellow brown stone and concrete. Entering through the arch, Emil could also see two people were waiting at the entrance of what appeared to be Pochatok.

"_Ve_!" Feliciano exclaimed even more enthusiastically. "Yong Soo! Erika! Over here!"

The two figures at the town's entrance turned around, and immediately they looked quite happy.

The taller of the two figures was an Asian guy around Emil's age, but coming closer to him, he stood at a height much taller than the silver-haired boy. He had short, black brown hair with a flyaway curl on the right side of his head that strangely enough, looked as if it had a face in the middle. He was grinning with a generally high-spirited expression on his face, and wore a brown jacket with the sleeves rolled to his elbows over a shirt that appeared to have a dog character on it. He was also wearing form-fitting dark jeans, and pink converse.

The shorter figure was a girl with green eyes and blonde hair in a chin-length bob-cut. She was also wearing a blue ribbon, and atop her head was a maroon hat with a purple ribbon on it. She was wearing a matching dress that was also maroon, had purple cuffs, and a white, pinstripe shirt with a purple ribbon around the neckline. She was also wearing white stockings, Mary Jane shoes, and white gloves.

"We were just wondering when you were getting here, _da ze_!" the Asian exclaimed in an upbeat manner.

"Here, let me introduce you," Michelin offered when she and Emil were finally released from Feliciano's grip.

Emil could only give a silent nod in her direction, starting to feel a bit more self-conscious at being surrounded by people. Still, he kept the cool expression on his face in hopes that they didn't know that he was actually nervous yet eager to make some new friends who looked quite friendly.

"Everyone, this is Emil!" introduced Michelin with an encouraging smile. "He just moved into Heima Town." She then gestured to the tall Asian with the curl, "This is Yong Soo – he's got some serious dance moves."

"_Annyeong_!" Yong Soo grinned. "Nice to meet you, Emil!"

Emil nodded in his direction, feeling a bit intimidated by his taller height and more muscular build seeing that his jacket's sleeves were clutching onto his biceps. "Nice to meet you, too…" he grumbled.

While Yong Soo simply smiled at the newcomer's cool disposition, Michelin continued – this time gesturing to the short, blonde girl. "And this is Erika," the pigtail-haired girl smiled. "She never misses a single question on her tests, and she actually moved in a month ago from Edel City."

Erika gave a lovely smile, "It's nice to meet you, Emil." She also gave a little curtsy in his direction.

Emil simply nodded in her direction, "Nice to meet you, too."

"_Ve_~ can we see the Pokémon now?" Feliciano wondered. "I wanna meet my new partner soon~!"

"I know, right?" Yong Soo laughed. "It was such a cool feeling when Erika and I got our first Pokémon, _da ze_! I hope you, Michelin and Emil here feel that way when you get your next Pokémon, too!"

"So, we have to go see Professor Katyusha, right?" Michelin questioned. "Let's go to her lab, then!"

And that was when the group of five started to wander around Pochatok as they were going on their way to Professor Katyusha's laboratory. During then, Emil couldn't help but look around in even greater awe than he had when he first came into Heima Town.

Pochatok was larger than Heima but not by much. Still, it had what appeared to be a large bridge with grey stone and black tin that connected to more green land. There was also a nice view of the beautiful sea that shimmered as the sun's rays bounced upon it. Boats of all kinds were sailing out and around with some people either fishing or relaxing. The buildings all appeared similar with grey stone and brown rooves, but Emil thought that that simply added to the charm of this lovely town by the sea.

Emil even spotted a fisherman that was sitting calmly at the edge of the bridge – his legs dangling over it. The top half of his face was covered by a straw hat, and he was wearing a simple, cotton blue shirt with the sleeves rolled a bit. He was also wearing brown shorts, and didn't seem to care that he was being watched.

Though as Emil tried to take a good look at the fisherman's face, said fisherman tilted his head in a way where the upper half of his face was avoided. Still, that didn't deter Emil's efforts to try and sneak a peak.

The fisherman was just as relentless, though.

Giving up and deciding to just watch the fisherman's actions for a little while, Emil spotted a sign close by. He read it aloud to himself as he followed the rest of the group. "_'Pochatok Town, the ocean of a new beginning,'_" he murmured. Looking around again and seeing the bridge over the sea, he really couldn't help but agree with that.

Soon, he found himself standing at the base of the side of a hill – on steps made of stone that created the path: carved into the hill's side. Still, his violet eyes widened a little upon catching sight of the great, white building with glass panels, a set of stairs that were leading to the top, and also a red mailbox at the top.

"Here we are!" Michelin announced with a smile as she poked Emil's shoulder. "This is Professor Katyusha's laboratory!"

Emil followed with the gang until they were at the top. He couldn't help but pant a little, feeling tired, and he noticed that Feliciano was heaving up and down, panting, and Erika wiped some sweat from her forehead with a lace handkerchief. Michelin and Yong Soo, on the other hand, both looked fine.

Coming inside, Emil was met with cool wind blowing from fans as he spotted strange machines all over the place. There was also a bunch of bookshelves, and a few computers beeping around while some aides were running around conducting their work. Again, Emil couldn't help but stare around – totally in awe of his new surroundings.

"Ahh…who is that over there?" Erika questioned as she was finally able to catch her breath.

Looking before them, Emil saw that that there was a young Asian man talking to one of the aide's. He had choppy, dark brown hair that reached his jaws, and light brown eyes. He had noticeably thick eyebrows, and was wearing a black shirt, black pants and black shoes. He also had a gold sash tied around his waist while he had a hand on his hip.

"Hey, that's Leon!" Yong Soo exclaimed. He began waving, "Hey, Leon, _da ze_! Over here!"

The other Asian turned to face them after hearing his name being called. He had a serious expression on his face as he surveyed everyone, "Oh, it's you, Yong Soo."

"Hey! You here to get your first Pokémon, too?" Yong Soo asked excitedly. Seeing the other nod, the Korean boy cheered, "Yeah! Looks like Feli, Mitchy and Emi aren't alone, then!"

Leon then arched an eyebrow, "Emi? I guess that's you?" He gazed pointedly in Emil's direction.

Emil felt a bit taken aback at the nickname he was given, however he didn't like that stare that the boy in front of him was giving. "The name's Emil," he said coolly.

"Emil, huh?" Leon nodded. "Nice to meet you, then." He bowed in respect in Erika and Michelin's directions in acknowledgement. After exchanging greetings with everyone else, Leon explained, "Professor Katyusha is apparently still out, and she has the starter Pokémon with her, but he says that we can wait upstairs for her."

"Well, okay, then," Michelin gave a shrug. "Let's go and wait for her, then."

"_Ve_~ I can't wait to get my first Pokémon!" Feliciano looked so eager that he was kind of bouncing in his spot. "My very first Pokémon! _Fratello _treasures his first one, and they say that your first will be your partner!"

Emil nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Lukas said something like that."

"Lukas?" questioned Leon. His eyes widened slightly, "You're like, not talking about Lukas Thomassen, the Gym Leader of Krystallair City, are you?"

Emil rubbed at his arm, "Y-yeah…I am. He's my brother."

"That is very impressive," Erika looked quite awed at hearing that. Leon himself looked very fascinated by that information, too. "You must know a lot about Pokémon, Emil," Erika said with a smile.

Emil this time scratched the back of his head, feeling more nervous and self-conscious of himself. Whenever the subject of his brother was concerned, he tended to feel small compared to him. Part of moving to Heima Town was so that Lukas wouldn't have to keep on travelling far distances to the place where he worked, and his home. Heima Town was a nice place that was close to Krystallair City, and as a result, Emil moved with his big brother there.

He knew that it would be time before people would recognize Lukas. Emil couldn't help but give an inward sigh with that.

Coming into the second floor of Professor Katyusha's laboratory revealed a corridor. The aide pointed them to a room that appeared to be a kind of lounge with couches, some bookshelves, a coffee maker, a stove, a fridge, and some glass tables. Yong Soo immediately planted himself on the couch while Michelin sat at one of the chairs near the table. Erika seated herself beside Yong Soo, while Leon sat on her other side. Feliciano was able to squeeze himself on Leon's other side.

Emil decided to take the chair near the table across Michelin.

"_Ve_~! What kind of Pokémon do you think they have?" Feliciano questioned, still looking very much excited. "I really, _really _can't wait!"

Leon shrugged, "Don't know. It is pretty exciting, though."

"The starter Pokémon differ depending on where you come from," Erika piped up. "The starting Pokémon at Edel City would probably be different to here in Pochatok Town."

Yong Soo chuckled, "Same! I got my starter Pokémon at Gwailkkul City, _da ze_!"

"What kind of starters do you have?" inquired Emil, legitimately curious. Sadly, he was met with an amused chuckle.

"Sorry, but you're gonna have to fight me first, in order to know," Yong Soo winked in the Icelandic boy's direction – a sparkle of mischief flashing in his brown eyes.

"You already told me that you owed me a battle," Leon spoke up, looking a little annoyed.

"Oh, yeah!" Yong Soo rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That I do! Well, okay, then, Leo! I'll fight you, first!" He then grabbed at his bicep and declared, "You'll be beaten by my own hand, _da ze_!"

This prompted Leon to roll his eyes, "Oh, please. Like, I'm totally scared!"

Michelin and Erika couldn't help but giggle at the boy's snarky response while Feliciano was still beaming. Emil, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel a little out of place – he was still new, after all, and he didn't know how to fit in with the banter that they provided. He knew that they were all quite nice to him so far, however he still couldn't help but feel a bit left out and unsure of what to do.

"So, Emil," Michelin spoke up in his direction. "What city did you come from before?"

"Huh?" Emil blinked. However, when the Seychellois girl repeated her question, the silver-haired youth answered, "Oh! I used to live in Kampfberg."

"Kampfberg Town?" Erika looked quite happy hearing that. "That's not so far away from Edel City."

"Hey, you guys must be neighbours, then!" Feliciano piped up.

Before Emil could place his input on the matter, there was a loud crash that thundered from downstairs.

Immediately, everyone stood up from their chairs, looking quite surprised and alarmed.

"What was that?" questioned Michelin, brown eyes widened.

"Sounded like it came from downstairs," noted Leon who probably looked the calmest out of the group.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out, _da ze_!" Yong Soo exclaimed – already hearing out of the lounge room.

"_Ve_! Yong Soo, it might be dangerous!" Feliciano cried as Erika started running after the Korean boy. Emil chose that time to follow with Leon and Michelin close at his heels. The Italian boy whined, "Be careful, everyone!" before running after them, too.

Descending down the stairs, they were met with quite a sight.

Two of the aides appeared to be beaten up – bumps and bruises on their heads, and a woman had her back against the wall and was on her butt. The woman had blue eyes, very short pale blonde hair that was adorned with a clip and a white headband. She was also wearing a long-sleeved white blouse, blue overalls, and a lab-coat over it.

However, Emil couldn't help but notice that the woman was quite…_well-endowed_.

Feeling his face heat up, Emil immediately looked into the direction that she was shouting at, and could also see what appeared to be two goons exiting the laboratory with what appeared to be a large, black case.

"Come back here!" the woman shouted as she began to get up. She was rubbing at her shoulder, and she looked close to tears, "Come back here this instance!"

"Professor Katyusha!" Michelin exclaimed as Leon, Erika and Feliciano came to her side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Professor Katyusha cried in distress. "But those two goons took the starter Pokémon for beginning trainers! They have to be stopped!"

"Cowards! Get back here, _da ze_!" Yong Soo shouted as he tore through the laboratory. Michelin followed closely behind him. Seeing that Professor Katyusha did indeed appear to be fine, the pale-haired boy followed the two Asians outside to confront the attackers.

"What the-? Tch, looks like we got some company," one of the goons said with a scoff. He was wearing what appeared to be a suit of white, plated armour that reminded Emil of the Power Rangers.

"Do we now?" the other, who was wearing yellow gave a tsk. "Heh, just a bunch of kids."

"Give back those Pokémon right now, _da ze_!" Yong Soo yelled – stabbing a finger at the black suitcase.

"Yeah! They don't belong to you!" declared Michelin, looking just as angry.

"They do now," smirked the white armoured goon. "They're now property of Team World."

"Team what now?" Emil asked, arching his eyebrow.

"Team World! We seek nothing more than world domination as our name suggests!" the ruffian in yellow then stood straight into what appeared to be a salute. "And anyone who dares try to _stand _in our way is in for a world of hurt!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, bring it on!" Yong Soo declared, reaching for his belt. He immediately took one of the Pokéballs and called out, "Riolu, let's teach these thugs a lesson, _da ze_!"

"Hold it."

All action immediately stopped when a new voice suddenly broke the tense atmosphere. Yong Soo stopped in mid-throwing stance while Michelin looked up with wide eyes. The two goons turned around, and Emil himself was quite surprised at who was standing in the way of the two thieves.

It was the fisherman from earlier.

His straw hat was still covering the top half of his face, and he was holding what appeared to be an oar paddle in one hand. The other had a net that was wet but empty, and Emil saw that he was wearing worn out slippers.

"Who the hell are you?" questioned the Team World member wearing white.

"Huh, some old fisherman," his comrade spoke up before rudely snapping, "Get the hell out of our way, meddlesome pest!"

The fisherman however stayed put.

"Not gonna listen, huh?" the white Team World member scoffed. "Well, _this _is what happens to those who get in our way! Go, Zangoose!"

"Electivire, you, too!" the one wearing yellow shouted.

Emil gasped upon seeing the two Pokémon that burst forth – they looked _tough_. Tough and quite intimidating. He was still shocked at seeing that the fisherman wouldn't budge – he felt even more alarmed when the Electivire had small bolts of what appeared to be blue electricity running at the top of its head.

"Gonna move now?" asked the yellow clad Team World member smugly.

"No," the response was so blunt and short, that Emil couldn't help but feel that the guy was crazy. It also really angered the two thieves.

Hearing the doors slide open automatically, Emil turned around to see that Professor Katyusha was being helped by Erika. When the busty woman caught sight of the interfering fisherman, instead of telling him to run for it, Emil was shocked to hear her cry, "Quan! Stop them! They're stealing Pokémon!"

The fisherman, Quan, then gave a snort. He raised his head, and this time, his eyes were viewable.

They were a sharp and stern honey gold that blazed with a frightening flame.

Emil honestly didn't expect the fisherman to have this expression on his face. He also didn't expect the fisherman to reach at the back of his waist, take a Pokéball and throw it forth as a burst of light shot forth once it opened.

* * *

**[Characters]  
****Emil - Iceland  
Lukas - Norway  
Michelin - Seychelles  
Feliciano - Italy  
Yong Soo - Korea  
Erika - Liechtenstein  
Leon - Hong Kong  
Katyusha - Ukraine  
Quan - Nyo!Vietnam**

**Yes, Nyotalia characters will appear in this story, 2P characters will also show up, too. X3**

**Anyway, what will happen next? What does this fisherman have up his sleeve? Will he be able to rescue the Pokemon for Professor Katyusha? What will Emil pick if the fisherman succeeds?**

**Tune in next time in Poketalia Edition: Amethyst! 8D**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	2. Rescue Starters: Fisherman Quan Appears!

**Hey there! Back with more of Poketalia Edition: Amethyst! X3**

**Anyway, a HUGE thanks to AnimeArtistGirl for the fave, follow AND the review! 8D you're awesome, and really, thank you! That means a lot to me. :D**

AnimeArtistGirl:** Thank you so much again! :D yep, Norway is a gym leader here, though it'll be a bit of a while before Icy can face him in a fight. If there was a Hetalia version of Pokemon out there and Norway was the gym leader, I'd DEFINITELY go buy it, and play the crap out of it. XD and I shall! I shall keep on writing! :D I have a lot I want to do with this fic. w**

**Last time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst, we meet our protagonist, Emil Steilsson, who has moved into Heima Town with his older brother, Lukas. Meeting his neighbours, Feliciano, Michelin and coming into Potchatok Town to meet more new friends, Yong Soo, Erika and Leon. Before coming to meet Professor Katyusha and finally getting their first Pokemon, some thugs that look like they're dressed as Power Rangers, and addressed themselves as Team World, have stolen them!**

**But what's this?**

**A fisherman engages them in battle. What will happen next? Will the fisherman, Quan, be able to get the Pokemon back? **

**Read on~ **

* * *

Once the bright light disappeared, Emil's violet eyes widened at seeing the Pokémon that was released from the fisherman's Pokéball.

A bipedal, rodent-like Pokémon with dark orange fur and a cream belly burst forth. Its arms and feet had patches of brown fur at the end, and the soles of its large feet were tan with a circular, orange pad. Its bifurcated ears were brown on the outside, and yellow on the insides – ending in a distinctive curl. There were two yellow circles on its cheeks, and its long, thin tail had a lightning bolt-shaped end.

"Chu!" the Pokémon exclaimed, looking quite excited and pumped.

"Raichu," Quan the fisherman looked evenly at the two Pokémon before his own. "Be prepared."

"Raichu!" the Mouse Pokémon's face suddenly morphed down to a determined expression. Multiple currents of golden electricity was sparking along its cheeks and tail.

"Whoa, that's not a Pikachu, right?" Michelin's eyes widened.

"No, that's a Raichu!" gasped Erika.

"Raichu…" Emil murmured. "Looks strong…"

Professor Katyusha nodded, "That he is. Well, both the trainer and the Pokémon."

However, Emil shook his head upon catching sight of the two Team World members and their frightening Pokémon looming over the fisherman and his Raichu, "But, is he really going to be okay? It's two against one! It's unfair!"

Professor Katyusha nodded again, "It _is _unfair…but like I said." The Icelandic boy was surprised to see that the woman's baby blues were resolute, "Both the trainer and the Pokémon here are strong."

"You got that much faith in them?" Yong Soo stepped down, now looking curiously between the two parties.

"This'll be easy!" the white Team World member laughed before stabbing a finger at Raichu. "Zangoose, use Crush Claw!"

"Electivire, you go forth and use Thunderbolt!" commanded the yellow Team World member.

Zangoose began running straight to Raichu while Electivire charged itself – blue bolts of electricity running sinisterly along its head and arms.

Quan however didn't look deterred, "Raichu, use Iron Tail!"

"Rai!" at the last minute, Raichu dodged Zangoose's Crush Claw, and leapt up before somersaulting. By then its entire tail glowed white before harshly striking Zangoose straight in the face, blowing back the Cat Ferret Pokémon.

"What the-?!" the white Team World member was taken aback, however he grit his teeth. "X-Scissor Zangoose! Hit it!"

"Dig," Quan said sternly.

Raichu leapt up again, effectively dodging Zangoose's X-Scissor before using its front paws to swiftly start digging underground.

"After it, Zangoose!" snapped the white Team World member. "Don't let that rat get away!"

"Strike," Quan ordered.

Raichu suddenly shot forth from underground – right underneath Electivire's chin: resulting in it knocking the other Electric-type Pokémon back.

"Unleash the Thunderbolt!" the yellow Team World member finally shouted.

"Electivire!" the Thunderbolt Pokémon unleashed the blue bolts of lightning straight at the Mouse Pokémon who was still airborne.

"You know what to do," Quan adjusted his straw hat.

"Chu!" Raichu suddenly shot its tail down into the ground just as it got hit by Electivire's Thunderbolt. The onslaught caused Emil, Yong Soo, Michelin and Erika to flinch from both the light and power that Electivire's Thunderbolt caused.

Emil's heart was racing throughout the whole battle – he couldn't tear his eyes away upon seeing the fisherman command Raichu with such calm composure, as well as without breaking a sweat. Raichu as well, despite being much smaller than Electivire and Zangoose, also showed no fear – much like its owner. However, here with Electivire's Thunderbolt striking Raichu, his heart immediately sank.

But Raichu seized itself up – suddenly it was surrounded by golden bolts of electricity: effectively dissipating Electivire's blue Thunderbolt. The Mouse Pokémon's cheeks were sizzling with sparks as it landed with the end of its lightning bolt-shaped tail still touching the ground.

Emil was shocked to see that Raichu didn't look hurt at all. On the contrary, it looked just fine. In fact, it looked even more pumped than before.

"What…just happened?" Michelin questioned. "I thought Raichu would get hurt from that."

"Well, they're both Electric-type Pokémon," reasoned Erika slowly. "It should be not very effective."

"There's that," Professor Katyusha smiled at Erika's observation. "But look carefully at Raichu again."

Emil squinted, but that's when he remembered – Raichu's tail shot to the ground before it landed. His violet eyes stretched further, "Raichu's tail…"

"Correct," Professor Katyusha smiled. "If the Electric-type attack is too much for the Electric-type Pokémon to handle, then they, that is the Electric-type Pokémon, can use their tails to hit the ground, and so forth be able to conduct any extra electricity. As you can see…" she nodded at Raichu. "Raichu used up a bit of energy during that battle, but Electivire's Thunderbolt effectively recharged it. Any excess electricity that it didn't need, passes onto the ground due to its tail connecting the two of them."

Emil stared in awe, "I never knew you could do that…"

"Yeah, me neither!" agreed Yong Soo look just as amazed. "That's incredible, da ze!"

"I've definitely got to remember that," Michelin noted.

Yong Soo chuckled, "Same here!"

"You damn pest!" snapped the yellow Team World member, looking incredulous at the fisherman's strategy.

Said fisherman continued to look unamused, "You should've known that as soon as I sent out an Electric-type that knew a Ground-type move…you had no chance from the beginning."

"Rai!" Raichu looked back at its partner, looking quite ready and pumped to continue.

This little action, noticeably, suddenly made the fisherman's lips tug up in a very small smile. Emil was even more amazed at seeing that. However Quan, cleared his throat before finally placing his hand forward as he called, "This went on for long enough, Raichu! Use Surf!"

"Wait, Surf?" this time Erika looked shocked. "A Raichu that knows Surf?"

Raichu however wasted no time – it suddenly seemed to glow blue before charging: more golden volts were sparking at its cheeks. It grit its teeth as suddenly, a huge wave of water burst forth. The Mouse Pokémon then leapt up and rode on the wave as it crashed down right on both Zangoose and Electivire. Once it subsided, the two larger Pokémon were down for the count.

"What the-?! What the hell was that?!" demanded the white Team World member.

"You tell me!" gaped the yellow Team World member. "A Raichu that knows freaking _Surf_?!

Quan however began taking very slow and even steps towards the two armour-clad men. "I won the battle, and you lose," he murmured. "Now return what doesn't belong to you."

The two men grit their teeth, however upon catching sight of Raichu giving a growl and having an expression much like its owner, the one in white proclaimed, "This is not over!"

"Yes!" declared the yellow Team World member. "We of Team World will come back and we'll take your Pokémon in order to create a better world and place!"

That was when the two dropped the suitcase and fled.

Quan simply picked up the suitcase and opened it. Emil, Yong Soo and Michelin rushed over to peek. Everyone sighed in relief at seeing that the three Pokéballs looked unharmed and still intact.

"Oh, thank God the Pokémon are safe," sighed Michelin in relief.

Quan simply gave a nod before closing the case and returning it to the busty professor. "Here you go, Ms Katyusha," he murmured.

Professor Katyusha gratefully took the suitcase from the fisherman, "I can always depend on you, Quan! Thank you so much! Thank you Raichu!" she smiled at the Mouse Pokémon.

Raichu gave a sheepish little chuckle before rubbing at the back of its head with its stubby little paw, "R-Rai, Rai~"

"Well," Quan bent down on level with Raichu and started scratching behind its ears. Raichu looked really content at its trainer's display of affection before suddenly thumping one of its large feet. The fisherman then stood up, "I still have things to do…"

"You won't stay and watch the new trainers get their Pokémon?" Professor Katyusha sounded a little disappointed. In all honesty, Emil couldn't help but feel disappointed, too – though he knew that he'd feel even more nervous and self-conscious at the fisherman watching since he seemed so experienced, the Icelandic boy was hoping to maybe ask some tips from him.

He seemed like a veteran trainer at the very least.

'_I wonder who'd win a battle between him and Lukas?' _he wondered to himself. That would definitely be a sight to behold. At least in his opinion.

"Sadly, I cannot," Quan replied calmly. "However, I assume that you're the new trainers?" his golden gaze this time focused right on Emil, Yong Soo, Michelin and Erika. This caused the youngsters to immediately straighten their postures.

"Y-yeah!" Michelin affirmed. "Emil and I are new trainers, and Feliciano is inside. Yong Soo and Erika already got their Pokémon before."

"I see," Quan nodded in understanding. "A word of advice. Even you two should listen," the fisherman stared pointedly at the Korean boy and the green-eyed girl who looked attentive. "Treat your Pokémon with compassion, respect and understanding, and they'll treat you the same way."

"Rai, rai!" Raichu nodded in agreement, looking up at its trainer happily.

Emil nodded. However, he was sure that everyone should know of that by now – Pokémon were living creatures like people after all. They deserved that much.

As Quan returned Raichu, he almost left. However Yong Soo called, "Hey, wait!" When the fisherman stopped in his tracks, the Korean boy continued, "I want to battle you, _da ze_!"

Michelin's brown eyes widened, "Yong Soo, are you crazy? You just saw what happened back there!"

"Yeah, but…" Yong Soo looked pumped. "I want to _really _battle him now!"

"Just because he's strong?" Emil asked incredulously. "But wouldn't that make it more reason _not _to battle him?" Unless the Korean boy was strong himself, however the Icelandic boy couldn't help but feel doubt start to cloud over his thoughts.

Quan, on the other hand, simply looked amused at the other Asian's determination, "That spark in your eye…" he murmured. "Actually, you all have them." This time, he surveyed Michelin, Emil and Erika, too. "Just in varying degrees…I like it, though." He didn't turn around, though, and simply adjusted his straw hat, "Not today. I have things to do. Maybe someday in the future…definitely not too soon, though…sorry."

And with that, he sauntered off. Emil couldn't help but watch his figure closely, admiring how humble yet strong the fisherman was. _'I hope I can be as strong as him…' _he thought to himself. _'I don't know if he's stronger than Lukas, but I think he'd definitely be a good match for him…'_

"Now!" Professor Katyusha smiled. "Now that the Pokémon are here~"

"Yes!" Michelin looked excited. "I can't wait! Feli and Leon are probably excited, too!"

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Professor Katyusha giggled. "Let's go!"

Once they came inside the laboratory again, Feliciano and Leon were tending to some of the aides. Upon being told of what happened outside with Quan the fisherman and his Raichu beating two members of an organization known as Team World, Professor Katyusha was preparing the balls out from their suitcase.

"_Ve_! Team World?!" Feliciano looked frantic. "They wanted to steal Pokémon?!"

Leon scowled, "What a low action. Stealing Pokémon from a laboratory…"

"I know, right?" Michelin sighed. "But luckily, that fisherman was able to beat them!"

"He sounds _really _strong," the Italian mused.

"He was," Emil nodded. "_Very _strong."

"I wanted to battle him!" Yong Soo piped up. "I _really _wanted to battle him!"

"With your Riolu?" Leon rolled his brown eyes. "You, like, wouldn't stand a chance against him. He's got a Raichu, which is a fully evolved Pokémon."

Yong Soo puffed his cheeks, "Leo, you're such a downer! Well, fine!" He pumped his fist, "I'll train Riolu to help it evolve, _da ze_! Then we can fight the fisherman!"

"Now," Professor Katyusha cleared her throat, capturing the attention of the youngsters. "The Pokémon are ready! Will the young trainers please step forward?"

Emil felt himself tense a little, his stomach starting to knot and twist as he stepped forward. Michelin gave him a pat on his back, which caused him to jolt slightly. Feliciano looked excited while Leon simply stared at the four balls that were situated on the table before them; seemingly in thought.

"Now, in these four balls are Pokémon that my lab are I have researched for quite a while," explained Professor Katyusha. "I was alerted that four of you were coming, and so here they are! Go ahead! You each get one."

Emil however found that he couldn't take a step at all. His heart was beating fast, and he felt even more nervous. He licked his lips before noticing Leon suddenly walk ahead of them all. Michelin and Feliciano gazed at Leon in interest as he started inspecting the Pokémon carefully.

"I guess Leon goes first, then?" Michelin gave a laugh. "That's fine by me!"

"_Ve_~ me, too!" Feliciano smiled.

Emil nodded, however he couldn't help but frown. Still, he decided to stay silent and just watched the Asian boy carefully.

After some thought, Leon finally took the ball that was at the very end. "This one's totally the one for me," he declared.

Professor Katyusha looked a little surprised at his choice, however she smiled, "I see! So, you pick Pikachu is your choice?"

Emil looked surprised at hearing that – there was a Pikachu there? Remembering Raichu from earlier, he murmured, "Pikachu…?"

"The pre-evolved form of Raichu," Michelin said. She couldn't help but scowl, "I guess Leon got inspired from hearing our story of what happened."

"Yeah, no kidding…" Emil agreed, feeling the need of puffing his cheeks a little. Honestly, he was inspired from the fisherman, and was looking forward to raise a Pikachu himself. However, he shrugged upon seeing that too late, Leon already took the Pikachu for himself. _'Besides…' _he looked at the three remaining balls on the table. _'I wonder what else Professor Katyusha has_._'_

"So…who picks next?" Erika questioned the three remaining trainers.

"I think Emi should pick, _da ze_!" Yong Soo piped up. "He's new to Heima Town, so I think it's fair!"

"W-what?" Emil was taken aback.

"Yeah, I'm cool with that," Michelin smiled brightly. "Definitely!"

"_Ve_~! Same here!" Feliciano clapped his hands. "You can pick next, Emil! Go for it!"

Emil swallowed thickly before realizing that everyone's eyes were this time focused on him. Still, after some gentle coaxing from Professor Katyusha, he came forward and began to look at the remaining three Pokémon in greater detail.

The first Pokéball had the following information underneath it. '_Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon_,' the information read. _'The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp, that they can pierce rock.'_

After reading the first information, Emil moved onto the next one – the second Pokéball that was now situated in the middle. _'Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. As it walks, it munches on a twig in place of a snack. It intimidates opponents by puffing hot air out of its ears."_

Contemplating a little bit more, Emil finally moved onto the last Pokéball. He gazed down and read the information. _'Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. It secretes flexible bubbles from its chest and back. The bubbles reduce the damage it would otherwise take when attacked."_

'_They all sound nice, though,' _Emil thought to himself as he took a step back and gazed down at the three Pokéballs again. He rubbed his chin as he started to try and think more carefully. _'This really is hard…'_ he almost felt like cursing himself for being the next to pick. Even if he was the first, and Leon didn't take the initiative, Emil was still faced with a pretty tricky choice.

He wasn't sure which one to pick.

What if he picked one that didn't like him? What if he was so incompetent as a trainer, that the Pokémon he picked would end up getting either really hurt, or hate him because of his incompetence? Remembering the fisherman from before and just how totally in control he was, along with his Pokémon giving him full admiration and respect, Emil felt even more intimidated and disturbed at the thought that he could be a lousy trainer instead of one that was worthy of respect like Lukas.

Still, all the more, a little flame ignited at the thought of his brother.

Emil was serious when it came to achieving his goals. And his biggest one was to make it all the way. Not just beat his brother, but to prove that he was no longer a child, and that he had what it takes to get far.

He wanted to be a master. A grand Pokémon master.

So for that, Emil felt the seeds of doubt shrivel up from the determined flame that started to take place as he his thoughts took a more positive spin. He clenched one fist before taking a deep breath.

Who said this was easy? It probably never would be. Still, he would try. Emil would definitely try and work hard first in order to reach his goal.

'_I just need to pick my partner here first,'_ he thought to himself. After gazing down at the three Pokéballs before him, shining eagerly as they anticipated his choice, the Icelandic boy licked his lips.

Then he took his pick.

* * *

**So, yep! Basically, I leave it to you, dear reviewers, to decide:**

**What should Emil/Icy choose for his starter Pokemon?**

**a) Chespin, the Grass-type.  
b) Fennekin, the Fire-type.  
c) Froakie, the Water type.**

**If there's a tie, I'll end it with a coin toss or a random generator. :)**

**Anyway, who will Emil's new partner be? What will happen next?**

**Stay tuned~ **

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	3. First Starter and First Battle

**It's been a LONG time since this was updated, but now that I'm in the holidays since I've completed assignments and only had one exam, I am now free~! X3**

**I'm definitely working on this story more now. :D**

**Anyway, a HUGE thanks AphIcelandIsBae for the follow and review; and to HoneyBeeGirl94 for the fave and review. w and thanks to LittleReviewer and Guest for the reviews! :3**

HoneyBeeGirl94: **Team World, indeed. X3 I really couldn't think of a different name for that. XD**

APHUnitedNations: **Sounds quite cute~ though the Pokemon gender ratio is 75% male and 25% female. ^^' I like that idea where the Pokemon projects Icy's true feelings since he is more hot-blooded and passionate deep down. X3 anyway, here it is! Sorry for taking too long. TTwTT**

LittleReviewer: **Vote noted down. X3**

Guest: **Vote totally noted down. X3**

AphIcelandIsBae: **Vote noted down as well. X3**

**Now, here's chapter 3~ 0w0 **

* * *

"The Fire-type Pokémon, Fennekin?" Professor Katyusha questioned with a little smile. "Ah, so this is your choice, then?"

Emil nodded as he finally took the Pokéball that was at the centre. He glanced down at the shining sphere in his hand closely, his heart racing quickly in his chest as he felt even more excited and nervous. The ball was cool in his warm hand, yet he could just _feel _the presence of the Pokémon that was residing within it. He wanted to let out his new Pokémon right now, however after a little moment of thought, he decided to maybe let it out later.

"_Ve_~! Okay!" Feliciano was clapping his hands as he skipped forward and picked the ball that was at the left. "My partner is Chespin! Wow, I'm sure we'll go really well together~!"

Michelin chuckled before coming over as the last person to get the last ball on the table. She smiled and nodded, "Nice to meet you, Froakie, I'm Michelin! Because of you, I can be a real Pokémon trainer now! Thank you!"

Emil couldn't help but inwardly agree with the Seychellois girl's words. He nodded as he glanced down at the Pokéball containing Fennekin in it. _'Yeah…I'm a real trainer now…' _he thought to himself.

"Sweet!" Yong Soo pumped his fist, grinning at his four friends who gained their new Pokémon. "Now we all have a Pokémon each, da ze!"

Professor Katyusha was smiling gently at the sight of the youngsters as well. However, she came forward and cleared her throat, "Sorry to intrude, but there is something else I must give to our new trainers." When everyone stopped talking and immediately place their attention to her, the short-haired woman continued, "Throughout your Pokémon journey, you will definitely see all kinds of Pokémon – some you may have never even heard of or seen before. For that, I have something that will help you understand Pokémon on a _much _deeper level."

She then took up a gadget from the table that was behind her. It was card-shaped and when she opened it, a holographic centre was visible when the two ends were separated. Everyone, but Erika and Yong Soo, couldn't help but gaze at it in awe and wonder.

Professor Katyusha gave a little giggle at the youngster's faces when they stared fixated at the technical piece in her hand. "This right here is a Pokédex," she explained.

"A Pokédex?" questioned Michelin.

"_Ve_~! I know what they are!" Feliciano piped up excitedly. "_Nonno _gives them to trainers back home, too!"

"You don't come from Heima Town, Feliciano?" Emil asked, surprised.

The Italian shook his head with a chuckle, "Actually, no. I was born in Miamolta City, but I moved to Heima Town because rent was cheaper here!"

Yong Soo laughed, "Yep! Rent is pretty cheap in Heima, and it's a nice and peaceful place to be, too, da ze! Everyone is quite friendly!"

Feliciano gave a little, sad smile, "It's beautiful in Miamolta City, too, but _nonno _agreed that it was better to move to Heima because it's much cheaper. Still, I do love going back home a lot, and I love visiting both _nonno _and my _fratello_!"

"_Fratello_?" Emil inquired with an arched eyebrow.

The Italian laughed warmly at the Icelandic boy's attempt at pronouncing the word with his accent, "_Ve_~ my older brother!"

"I didn't know you had a brother," Leon looked surprised.

"I have two, actually!" Feliciano responded. "My older brother, Lovino, and my younger brother, Giorgio~"

"Sounds really nice," smiled Erika softly.

"It is nice to have siblings," Professor Katyusha gave a forlorn sigh before clearing her throat again and continuing with her explanation. "Well, the Pokédex is something that _all _trainers receive when the get their first Pokémon." She started handing them to Emil, Michelin, Feliciano and Leon. "The Pokédex I just gave you is a high-tech device that automatically records the Pokémon you encounter!"

"It looks very different to my Pokédex, though," Erika observed as she pulled out hers from her pocket. It looked more like a phone compared to theirs.

Yong Soo nodded, "I think that's because we got ours from different places." He pulled out his own Pokédex to show that it was flat and had buttons on it along with a small screen.

Professor Katyusha nodded, "That is precisely correct!" Rubbing her chin, she glanced at Erika's and Yong Soo's Pokédex's. Yong Soo even raised his up so she could have a better look at it. "Yours looks like it's from Gwaikkul City," she murmured as she looked at Yong Soo's Pokédex. "And yours looks like it's from Edel City," the short-haired woman nodded at Erika's one.

"Yeah, that's it!" Yong Soo looked astounded. "You got it!"

Professor Katyusha beamed, "Either way, all Pokédex have the same function. They're there to record data on every Pokémon you encounter, and will fill up once you catch them."

"Catching," Emil murmured before his expression looked determined. Of course, that would be part of the journey – not just battling, but catching Pokémon, too, obviously. After all, you can't just expect people to just _give _you Pokémon, now could you?

"Precisely, catching," Professor Katyusha nodded. "Once you've reached the age of sixteen, you are eligible to obtain your trainer's license, and carry a Pokédex to go on an adventure! Well, that's really all there is to it." The blue-eyed lady nodded, "Now, I'm sure all of you will do your best on your Pokémon journey! If you want me to look at your Pokédex and see its progress, you can either contact me by the PC in any Pokémon Centre, or just come back here to my laboratory and show me in person. Good bye and good luck!"

"Thank you very much!" Michelin grinned.

"_Sí_! _Grazie_!" Feliciano agreed. Emil followed suit.

Leon gave a bow as he murmured his thanks, and left the building at once. He had pocketed his Pokédex very swiftly. Everyone watched him go off in a hurry as Michelin whistled, "Wow, Leon was quite quick to leave."

Yong Soo shrugged a shoulder, "I dunno…that's just how Leo works. Well…" he then jerked a thumb at himself and then Erika. "Eri and I are gonna go off to look for some Pokémon at the route ahead! We'll see you guys there, _da ze_!" And with that, the Korean boy ran off with the blonde girl who was trying to keep up with him, leaving Michelin, Feliciano and Emil at the front of the laboratory.

"What are you two going to do?" Emil questioned, still finding it a bit awkward to talk to people who were new.

Michelin rubbed her chin, "Well, I'll contact my aunt first and tell her the good news! She's going to be _so _happy to hear that I finally have my new partner!" She looked at her new neighbour, How about you, Emil?"

Emil thought for a moment, "I think I'll just go home, first. I saw Lukas preparing lunch, so I should at least get home and see him before I go, first."

"Hey, your brother's a gym leader, right?" Michelin looked excited. "That means you'll want to battle him someday!"

"Y-yeah…" the silver-haired youth shuffled a little bit in his spot. He looked to the side as that one little fact came back to light. He had wanted to get his Pokémon in a while and start going on a journey. He wanted to become strong to prove that he was no longer a child. That, and admittedly, he felt very small as he stood in a _large _shadow that Lukas projected.

Since Lukas was a gym leader, Emil thought that defeating the Pokémon League would be the best way to prove himself and defeat the Elite 4, as well as the Champion. The Elite 4 were a group made of four powerful trainers that were far stronger than any gym leader. The Champion was considered the strongest trainer in the world, and could be anyone who could beat the Elite 4 and the reigning Champion. Still, the Champion was very difficult to defeat. However, in order for a trainer to be eligible to challenge the Elite 4, the trainer must first collect eight badges to qualify.

This massive journey would not only test his limits and abilities, but going out in the world would help him far more than staying at home. Emil always was curious about what the world was like, and always dreamed of travelling around by himself. Lukas tended to baby him too much, and Emil wanted to show he could look after himself just fine.

'_I can do it,' _the Icelandic boy thought to himself as he licked his lips. _'I can do it.'_

Michelin, meanwhile, couldn't help but notice how quiet her new neighbour had become upon the mention of his brother. It worried her a bit, but she decided not to comment any further.

"I'll go on ahead," Emil spoke up. "So…" he rubbed the back of his neck, still feeling quite unsure. "I'll see you later?"

The Seychellois girl blinked before beaming brightly. She nodded, "Definitely!"

However, before Emil could leave Pochatok Town to go back to Heima, a cheerful voice called for him.

"_Ve_~ Emil, wait!"

"Huh?" Emil turned around to see Feliciano running up to him, looking quite excited. "Feliciano? What is it?"

"I spoke to my _nonno _on the phone, and he said that it's good to test out starer Pokémon as soon as you get them~!" Feliciano spoke rapidly. "You will be my opponent in my Pokémon trainer debut~! Okay, Chespin! This will be our first battle together~! Let's win it together, _ve~_!"

Emil was somewhat dazed at how quickly Feliciano was talking, but seeing the Italian grab for his Pokéball, the young man immediately stepped back to give space.

Once Feliciano threw the ball, and the bright light disappeared, Chespin popped out and looked equally as excited as its trainer.

Emil took the ball with Fennekin, and tossed it forward, "Go, Fennekin!" He stumbled slightly when he tossed the ball. Luckily he quickly regained his footing, though he couldn't help but feel embarrassed that he almost fell over just from doing something as simple as throwing a Pokéball.

When the bright light disappeared, Fennekin landed daintily on the ground with a cheerful cry. The Fox Pokémon however straightened itself a bit and got into a sort of crouch as it growled a little, ready for battle.

"_Ve~_! Chespin, use Vine Whip!" Feliciano called out as Emil wondered who would be going first.

Emil quickly called, "Ember, Fennekin!"

Chespin gave a loud call as it unleashed two, long vines. Fennekin meanwhile opened its jaws as sparks of flames shot out of its mouth. The flames immediately sizzled at the green vines, causing Chespin to give a yelp and jump back. There was a bit of flame on its vines, which prompted it to bat at the little fire away in a hurry. The Spiny Nut Pokémon sighed in relief when it was able to get rid of the flames.

"Fennekin, use Scratch!" Emil called out. This time, he wasn't sure if it was a good idea to continue Ember as he might set Feliciano's poor Chespin on fire. What would Feliciano say at that?

"Tackle, Chespin!" Feliciano called out.

Chespin launched forward with its head forward, while Fennekin brought its claws out with a snarl. The Grass-type was still lurching forward, but its Fire-type rival leapt up before scratching it in the face. The Scratch attack knocked it at the ground.

"Another Scratch!" ordered Emil.

"Fenne!" Fennekin howled as it scratched at Chespin once more.

"Vine Whip, quickly, please!" Feliciano piped up, now looking quite worried and…a bit teary-eyed.

Though Chespin brought its vines out and knocked Fennekin back successfully, Fennekin looked like it did _not _appreciate getting slapped in the face with vines. So, for that, it gave a snarl, its mouth filled with flames from sight.

Seeing that, Emil hesitated, but decided that things should be taken care of now, "Ember one last time!"

Fennekin unleashed the sizzling sparks from its mouth, striking Chespin one more time. "Ches!" the Spiny Nut Pokémon cried out before collapsing again, seeing stars.

Looks like it was down for the count.

Feliciano gasped, "H-hey!" He squeaked out, looking like he was ready to burst into tears soon, "_Ve~ _I wasn't done watching my cute, little Chespin yet!"

Emil was panting slightly from the battle. His first battle, and he felt a rush of adrenaline run right through his entire body. He felt more fired up than how he was before, and he couldn't help but want to burst into joy at winning.

His battle, his first Pokémon battle with his first ever Pokémon.

"I actually won," Emil breathed, his amethyst eyes sparkling. "I won!" he looked down at the Fox Pokémon who was looking up at him happily. "We won! You did brilliantly, Fennekin!"

"Fenne~" the little Fire-type tilted its head, looking pleasantly pleased with the praise from its new trainer.

"_Ve_~ you're amazing, Emil!" Feliciano beamed, his tears disappearing at seeing how happy his new friend looked.

"That was quite the battle, indeed."

Emil and Feliciano immediately whipped around to see that Quan the fisherman was standing near the stone that connected Professor Katyusha's laboratory to the rest of Pochatok Town. The corner of the older man's lips twitched slightly – almost as if he was going to smile, but was suppressing it. When he came forward, Emil couldn't help but tense slightly in anticipation.

Quan brought himself down to his haunches and started patting both Fennekin and Chespin. "These two did quite well, too," he murmured. After the two Pokémon looked happy with the affection given to them, Quan was reaching into his pocket, "Allow me to heal them for the both of you."

"T-thanks," Emil stammered out, cursing the stutter.

"_Grazie_!" Feliciano looked very grateful.

Once Quan had finished healing the Pokémon, he then stood up and surveyed the youngsters seriously, "The both of you have what it takes to do great things. Whether it be Pokémon battles, contests, idolhood, breeding or research…you can make a difference. Just take that first step, and don't be afraid."

He then left them to ponder on his words.

Emil couldn't help but watch him go – though he was only a fisherman, the Icelandic boy felt that he was a very strong trainer, and was filled with experience. His battle with those weird Team World members with his Raichu was enough proof. These sage words of advice was just more evidence.

'_Someday, I want to have a battle with him,' _Emil thought to himself, his heart racing at the thought. _'Though I'm _definitely _not strong enough to go anywhere near him just yet, but someday…I'll train hard, come back here, and challenge him to a fight.'_

"_Ve~ _he's an interesting _signor_, don't you think?" Feliciano commented, looking just as awed as Emil. He returned Chespin before giving a chuckle. "Well," he grinned in the silver-haired youth's direction. "I'm going to meet with the others in the next route! I overheard you talking to Michelin that you'll go home and say goodbye to your big brother? Well, okay, then~! Say hello to him for me~!"

And with that, like a true Italian, Feliciano ran off at top speed.

Emil blinked, however licking his lips, he gave a sigh. Fennekin looked up at him with slight worry on its little face. The Icelandic boy however shook his head and returned the Fox Pokémon, knowing it needed rest.

Then, he went the other way.

Going back to Heima Town was actually heavier than Emil expected. He wasn't exactly sure why as he had only just moved into the town a few hours ago. But still, leaving the peacefulness of the beautiful greenery, the cosiness of the small space, and the lovely breeze that flowed through his tousled hair.

When he reached his home, Emil saw that Lukas had prepared a plate of sandwiches, and was sitting at the table with a bottle of Coca Cola.

Upon catching sight of his little brother, a small, faint smile spread out onto Lukas' face. "Welcome home," he said as he gestured at the chair beside him. "Come and eat for a little."

When Emil placed himself on the seat, he began to wonder if he should let out Fennekin to eat some of the sandwiches, too. Sounded like a good idea, though he wondered if the Fox Pokémon even liked sandwiches. After a little bit of thought, the silver-haired youth took out his Pokéball and gazed down at it in question for a bit.

Lukas noticed the ball, "Ah, I see you have a Pokémon now. Did you get it from Professor Katyusha?"

Emil perked up slightly, a bit surprised that his older brother knew about the busty professor, however he shook his head. Of course his brother would know – he was a Gym Leader, he'd obviously have to know this stuff. He nodded, "Yeah."

"Why not let it out? I'm sure it will enjoy having some sandwiches."

Emil nodded again – this time remembering the battle with Feliciano and Chespin. "Yeah, I know," he then threw the Pokéball. "Come out, Fennekin."

After the bright light disappeared, Fennekin shook its head a little before sitting on its haunches. It looked up with bright eyes before chirping happily, "Fenne! Fennekin!"

Lukas this time couldn't help the smile spreading on his usually cold face. "What an adorable Pokémon." He then got up from his seat and crouched down to pet it on the head. "Professor Katyusha gave you this Fennekin? How kind of her."

Fennekin looked really content and happy with Lukas patting its head, scratching behinds its ears, and stroking at its fur. "Fenne~" it chirped happily, its bushy tail wagging a bit.

Emil then took a sandwich from the plate and crouched down himself. Immediately, Fennekin perked up its head from seeing the food, and looked excited. Emil stretched his arm out and let the Fox Pokémon gobble up the food. The Icelandic boy couldn't help but smile at his starter's happy expression at eating the morsel.

When Emil had gotten a few sandwiches and began feeding it to Fennekin, Lukas stood up and watched the two. A little chuckle rumbled from his throat, "You look good together with Pokémon, little brother."

Emil felt his ears redden a bit upon hearing that, which caused him to quickly gain a cool composure. Fennekin stared a bit curiously between the two humans, though it continued nibbling on a sandwich.

Lunch was a quiet affair, with the only noises going on coming from Fennekin munching on the sandwiches that Emil, and later Lukas, fed it. When the plate was empty, Fennekin curled into a bit of a ball and seemed to be resting. Both brothers watched it closely, both intrigued by it.

After a while of silence, Lukas chose to speak up, "So."

"So?" Emil questioned.

"To think you have your very own Pokémon now…" Lukas murmured. "I'm really overjoyed. You can go out on an adventure…" He then turned to face his younger sibling, "But, please just be careful. If anything happens, you know you can come home or to my Gym."

Emil was quiet, however he nodded, a weak smile forming on his face, "Y-Yeah…I know that. Thanks, Lukas."

The blonde then came close and wrapped his arms around him, bringing him into a tender and tight hug. Emil was taken aback by the action at first, however, after the initial hesitation, he lifted his arms and returned it. He wondered how long it had been since he hugged his brother like this – he couldn't really remember the last time they hugged, which was a little sad. However, he was quite happy with it now. And considering he'd be gone for a while on his own trainer adventure, it would probably be a long time before he could see his big brother again.

Once the hug was broken, Lukas looked at his brother, this time a soft smile on his face, and a hand on Emil's shoulder. "Go get them, Emil," he said encouragingly.

Emil nodded before returning Fennekin to its Pokéball. Then, after packing a few things in a bag including a few pieces of clothing, toiletries, a sleeping bag and a compass. Once everything was packed, he took a deep breath and left the house with Lukas.

Lukas walked with him until they reached the end of Heima Town. When they were there, the blue-eyed blonde again reached in for another hug. Again, Emil was really taken aback by it, however he quickly returned it before starting his journey. He waved goodbye in response to Lukas' wave, before looking forward. Determined to now start his adventure.

"See you, big brother."

* * *

**And so, ends Chapter 3. What will Emil encounter on his journey? What will happen on his Pokemon journey? Will he encounter more Team World members? Stay tuned~**

**And by stay tuned, I mean wait for tomorrow, because that's when the next chapter will be placed up. XD**

**Stay tuned~ **

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	4. Miamolta Forest - Catch and Walk!

**Hey, guys! Back with yet another chapter, as promised. =^^=**

**Anyway, a HUGE thanks to LiztheGamer for the follow, and to HoneyBeeGirl94 and Guest for the reviews. X3**

HoneyBeeGirl94: **Thanks! :D the votes all tallied to Fennekin, so Emil now has a Fennekin. :) and yeah, it makes sense that Michelin has a Froakie. XD**

Guest:** There'll be a lot of bad puns when it comes to Team World. XDDD thank you very much! :D**

**Now, continuing on~ **

* * *

Once he left Heima Town and got into Pochatok, Emil recalled that Yong Soo and Erika had run ahead to the route past Pochatok to look for Pokémon. As a result, he continued in that direction.

Coming into the route, there was a stream of clean, clear water that was running by greenery. A couple of large trees with their branches swaying slightly to the breeze. There was also a number of thick and tall grass.

There were also two figures ahead.

Recognizing the two figures, Emil came forward to see Yong Soo and Feliciano near the tall, thick grass. The silver-haired youth wondered where Erika and Michelin were, but before he could ask, Feliciano noticed him. "Oh! _Ciao_, Emil~!" the Italian waved enthusiastically at him as he approached the pair.

"Hey," Emil nodded. He still felt a little self-conscious, but not really as badly as before. He did try to keep his cool, though.

"Come learn how to catch Pokémon with me! Yong Soo knows how to do it! _Ve~ _his whole family have careers to do with Pokémon!"

"Really?" Emil questioned curiously. He wondered what exactly the occupations of Yong Soo's family were.

"Yeah, my family's good with Pokémon, but that's nothing to do with me, and I'm gonna show I can be far better, da ze!" Yong Soo called from his spot in the tall, thick grass. It looked like he was already searching for something to catch. The Korean boy called out from his spot, "Okay, now watch carefully, _da ze_! Hmm…" Emil watched closely along with Feliciano, the latter even on bated breath. After hearing a few rustles here and there, Yong Soo then declared, "Ahaa~!"

All of a sudden, a Pokémon leapt out from the grass and snarled angrily at the Korean. Emil and Feliciano immediately leapt back in shock and surprise.

"_Ve_! What is that?!" Feliciano squeaked, hiding behind Emil.

The Pokémon was a bit small, but it looked angry as it stood on all fours. Its body was primarily grey, with a black face, throat, feet and belly. Its eyes had yellow sclera and red irises, and its nose was also red. Its lower jaw had two pointed feet sticking out, and the fur at the base of its tail was rumpled and shaggy.

Emil immediately took out his Pokédex for a look. "_Poochyena, the Bite Pokémon," _said the Pokédex's mechanical voice. "_A distinguishing feature is how large its fangs are compared to its body. _ _At first sight, Poochyena takes a bite at anything that moves. This Pokémon chases after prey until the victim becomes exhausted. However, it may turn tail if the prey strikes back."_

"That certainly doesn't look like it'll turn tail!" Emil exclaimed as he gazed at the Pokémon in both wariness and awe.

"Well, I'm gonna catch it!" Yong Soo grinned, looking determined. "Watch closely, _da ze_! Go, Fletchling!"

Once the white light disappeared, a bird Pokémon flew out, flapping its grey wings. It had a reddish-orange head with a triangular yellow mark on the back of each eye, and its body was also grey. Emil noticed that there was white tips on the wings, and its tail was long and black with a V-shaped marking near the tip. Its little legs were thin and spindly, and was also black, along with its beak and eyes.

"What a cutie~!" Feliciano cooed at seeing Yong Soo's other Pokémon.

Looking at the Pokédex again, its technical voice rang out, "_Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokémon. These friendly Pokémon send signals to one another with beautiful chirps and tail-feather movements. Despite the beauty of its lilting voice, it's merciless to intruders that enter its territory."_

"Okay! Fletchling, use Tackle!" commanded Yong Soo.

The bird Pokémon chirped as it charged forward and tackled right into Poochyena. The Bite Pokémon snarled a little, however, it charged forward itself – tackling right into Fletchling. The Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped in shock as it was knocked back quite a bit, however it flapped its wings a bit to gain its composure.

"That looked strong!" Feliciano remarked, looking on edge. Emil nodded, also feeling a bit nervous himself.

However, Yong Soo looked totally confident, "It'll take more to bring down _my_ Fletchling,_ da ze_! Another Tackle!"

"Tchling!" Fletchling peeped before it charged forward into another Tackle. This time, this one knocked Poochyena off its feet and back. Poochyena gave a yelp as it landed on the ground.

"You make sure to weaken the Pokémon first, _da ze_!" Yong Soo called, this time whipping out an empty Pokéball. "Then, go Pokéball, go!" he reared his arm back and threw it in a really strong manner – reminding Emil of a baseball pitcher.

The ball hit Poochyena on the head before opening. Once Poochyena disappeared into the ball, it landed onto the ground. It shook once…twice…then three times before it gave a little click and stopped shaking.

"And gotcha! Poochyena's been caught!" Yong Soo declared, looking highly pleased with himself.

"Wow!" Feliciano marvelled as the Korean bent over to pick up the Pokéball containing his new Pokémon. "The Pokémon went _inside _the Pokéball, _ve_~?!"

Emil couldn't help but give the Italian an incredulous look, _'Is this new information to him?' _He couldn't help but wonder on that. Feliciano didn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, but still…

Yong Soo himself looked slightly disbelieving, "Come on, Feli…what do you think your Chespin is inside of right now?" However, he came towards the two new trainers and reached into his own bag. "Anyway, here, let me share some Pokéballs with the two of you!"

"Really? Thanks," Emil murmured in surprise. He took the five Pokéballs that Yong Soo gave him, and placed them in an empty pocket of his bag. Likewise, Feliciano thanked the Asian, and pocketed them as well.

"_Ve~ _do you think I can catch some Pokémon, too?" Feliciano questioned, looking excited.

"Of course you can, _da ze_!" Yong Soo responded animatedly. "You can catch the Pokémon around here just by throwing a Pokéball near them!"

"Okay!" Feliciano was beaming brightly. "If I find a cute or pretty Pokémon, I'll throw lots and lots of Pokéballs at it, and then we'll become friends!"

"When you catch a wild Pokémon, it makes your Pokémon stronger, too," added Yong Soo. "Good luck!" He jerked a thumb towards what appeared to be a huge mass of trees, "Erika is already up ahead in the forest, so I'm gonna go catch up with her! She actually outran me, _da ze_!" He couldn't help but laugh, "Well, see you in the forest!"

He then ran off, with Feliciano also following suit in top speed. However, Emil decided to take his time as he loved the scenery around him. It was also very peaceful and beautiful. Surprisingly enough, he didn't encounter any wild Pokémon as he continued walking in his calm, even pace.

After gazing around, and even checking through the grass, he heard a familiar voice call.

"Hey!"

Emil perked up to see Michelin running towards him. When she stopped, she was panting, clutching onto her knees as she tried to regain her breath. "Oh, hey, Michelin," Emil spoke up.

"Hey there, Emil!" Michelin panted a little. When she got her breath back, she stood straight and smiled, "So, how's it going?"

"Good," the Icelandic boy responded. "I said goodbye to Lukas, then I was watching Yong Soo catch Pokémon with Feliciano."

"Wow, really?" Michelin sighed. "Wish I could've seen that. What did he catch?"

"A Poochyena according to the Pokédex," replied Emil.

"Would've been really something to watch," chuckled Michelin. Suddenly, she stopped and looked up, her brown eyes widening a little. "Ah!"

Hearing a bit of a rustle, Emil turned around. Michelin came forward so that she was standing beside him. She was looking up, so he followed suit, wondering where the rustling came from.

"Look! Up there!" Michelin was grinning. "Check 'em out, Emil!"

Emil looked up and his violet eyes widened to see three Pokémon fluttering their beautiful wings above them. They had large, blue eyes, black antennae that extended out of their heads, and long, curled black proboscis. They had grey faces, undersides, and four, stubby limbs. Their lovely wings were predominantly black, and had large, yellow markings and rims on the edge, along with red and blue markings. On their lower pair of wings was a long, round-tipped extension.

"Those are…Beautifly, aren't they?" questioned Michelin.

Emil took out his Pokédex yet again. The mechanical voice confirmed the Seychellois girl's words, "_Beautifly, the Butterfly Pokémon. Beautifly's favourite food is the sweet pollen of flowers. If you want to see this Pokémon, just leave a potted flower by an open window. Beautifly is sure to come looking for pollen. This Pokémon rides the spring winds as it flits around gathering pollen._"

"Yeah, they're Beautifly," agreed Emil. He couldn't help but feel a smile come across his face at seeing the beautiful creatures flying away.

"They're so pretty, don't you think?" Michelin smiled softly.

"Definitely."

"But, wow," Michelin looked around. "We already made it to Route 102!"

"Did we?" Emil was confused at first, but checking the Town Map, indeed, she was correct. "Wow, we are…"

Michelin laughed, "I guess it's really true that time flies when you're with a friend!"

Emil couldn't help but feel his face redden slightly at being addressed that way. However, it would be a lie to say that he didn't like being referred to as that. He rubbed at his arm before giving a nod. He quickly murmured, "Everyone said they were going into the forest ahead, so…"

"Let's go, then!" Michelin beamed, looking fired up. "Miamolta Forest is up ahead!"

Walking several more steps, Emil and Michelin were at the entrance where they saw that the trees were becoming much larger, and even darker in tone and colour. Their mottled leaves were bunched against each other. Coming into Miamolta Forest, Emil noticed that only splotches of sunlight were there. The forest was filled with tall grass, and many trees were towering above the both of them. There were also patches of lovely, pale yellow flowers around.

And there, everyone else was waiting.

"You're finally here!" Yong Soo exclaimed. "What took you?"

"They probably just wanted some alone time together," Leon said with a deadpan expression. However, the mischievous glint in his brown eyes was undeniable.

Emil reddened and Michelin flushed, "That's not true! We just saw some Beautifly, that's all!"

"Oh, really?" Erika looked quite excited to hear that. "It must've been a lovely sight."

"It really was," Michelin nodded. "Now," she pumped her fist. "Let's go to the other end onward to Miamolta City!" And with that, she started running.

"Not if I get there, first, _da ze_!" Yong Soo smirked as he started running, too.

Leon and Erika soon followed suit. However, Emil noticed that Feliciano remained behind. "Aren't you going to follow them, Feliciano?" the Icelandic boy questioned.

"_Ve_, I don't like big, dark and scary forests like this," Feliciano shivered a bit. However, looking at Emil up and down, he then exclaimed, "Wait, I have a great idea! Let's walk together!"

"Huh?" Emil was slightly confused. "W-what?"

"I feel like something exciting will happen if I stay by you~!"

"R-really?" Emil was adjusted the collar of his shirt. However, he simply responded with a meek nod, "O-okay…"

"I'll heal your Pokémon whenever you want~" Feliciano beamed as he stayed close by Emil's side. Emil, admittedly, felt a bit uncomfortable with how close the Italian was standing beside him.

And with that, Emil and Feliciano ran to keep up with the rest of the group. Emil felt his muscles start to tire as Feliciano was far more nimble and speedy than how he seemed. Still, whenever Emil wanted to stop and take a breather, Feliciano was happy to stop and wait for him. Hearing familiar voices ahead, Emil and Feliciano followed as they trekked further in the forest.

In no time, they were able to keep up with the rest of the party.

"Miamolta Forest, huh?" Leon mused. "Might be a good place to test my skills."

Meanwhile, Erika started to walk into some of the tall grass, "First, I'd like to observe…" she mumbled to herself.

Also, Michelin was called upon by what appeared to be a Youngster. "A battle?" she questioned. However, she looked ready as soon as things were cleared, "Well, okay then! Bring it on!"

Emil noticed that Yong Soo wasn't among the group, so it must've meant that he was far ahead of them all. He wondered just how far, when Feliciano tugged on his arm.

"Oh, hang on a second, Emil~!"

The silver-haired boy watched the Italian then run into the grass and pick something up. Emil was hoping that it wasn't a wild Pokémon, but was instead surprised to see Feliciano come up with an iteam.

"Look at what I found, Emil!" Feliciano beamed. "Here, I'll give it to you~!"

"This is a Paralyze Heal," Emil noted. "This really is quite useful! Thanks, Feliciano."

"_Ve_~ you can just call me Feli~" the Italian grinned as they kept on going.

"Okay then, Feli..."

However, as they continued further into the forest, Emil then noticed that there were actually trainers who wanted to battle. At first taken aback with how forward some of them were, Emil took it into stride, and it only made him more determined to win with Fennekin. And indeed, Fennekin was getting more and more experience as he continued to battle with more and more trainers.

"If you have Pokémon with you, then you're an official Pokémon trainer!" a Youngster declared. "You can't say no to my challenge!" When Emil beat him, the Youngster groaned, "Argh…I lost. I should've trained mine more…"

A Bug Catcher saw the duo next, and laughed, "Haha! Our eyes met! I'll take you on with my Bug Pokémon!" From that match, Emil saw that Fennekin's Ember was super effective against the Bug-types, which he kept note of. It also reminded Emil that he had to brush up on what type was strong and weak against what. "Ow! Down and out!" the Bug Catcher cried upon seeing his Wurmple get torched by Emil's Fennekin's Ember.

"Come on, Scatterbug – let's powder this punk!" a Youngster declared. When he was beaten, though, he comforted his beaten Pokémon, "Cheer up, Scatterbug! We lost this time, but we'll get the next one who comes along for sure!"

A Lass was the next trainer that they bumped into. She came up and giggled to Emil, "Your Pokémon are in for a shock!" Emil was not impressed with the pun when he saw that she had an Electric-type Pokémon – a Pikachu. However, the Icelandic boy wondered if there were any wild Pikachu somewhere. When he defeated her, the Lass squealed, "Eep! I was the one who got shocked!"

Emil had to drag Feliciano away since he was flirting up a storm with her.

Sadly, another Lass challenged him to a battle. "I'm going to keep winning and aim to be the best Trainer," she declared. "Help me further my career!" When she lost, she moaned, "I ended up furthering _your _career…"

Again, Emil had to drag Feliciano away when he was flirting up another storm with her.

"Did you just become a Trainer?" another Youngster questioned Emil. When Emil nodded in response, he exclaimed, "We're both beginners!" But when Emil beat him, he groaned, "I challenged you because I thought I could beat you…"

"Want me to heal your Pokémon, Emil~?" Feliciano questioned, noticing that Fennekin looked a bit tired. Emil immediately agreed and let the Italian heal the poor Fox Pokémon. Once Fennekin was all healed up, Feliciano chuckled, "There, all better~!"

Continuing on, Emil once more had to drag Feliciano away when another Lass challenged him to a battle. "The best part about Pokémon battles is that they can happen anytime, with anyone, anywhere!" she proclaimed.

"_Ve_~ and I can meet beautiful girls anytime, anywhere!" Feliciano exclaimed happily.

When Emil beat her, though, she sighed but chirped happily, "I've got to keep battling and training up my really awesome Pokémon team!"

Continuing further into the forest, Emil was huffing slightly from the adrenaline rush he had with all the Pokémon battles so far. However, it was good – he felt really fired up, and ready to face whatever was coming next. He beat them all with Fennekin, and Feliciano was healing it countlessly.

"_Ve_~!" Feliciano exclaimed. "I think we're almost out of here!"

"Really?" Emil wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm. He felt a bit relieved, and also excited to see what was at the other end of the forest.

"So, you're the first to arrive."

Feliciano gave a yelp before clutching onto Emil, who whipped around to see who spoke. They were met with the sight of an amused looking Leon.

"Looks like my new neighbour is someone with a lot of potential!" Michelin grinned as she patted Emil's back. Emil couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, however he also felt a bit happy with the compliment.

"The way Pokémon move, it's just incredible," Erika beamed pleasantly as she caught up with them.

"Hey, we're all here!" Yong Soo cheered. "Well, that's awesome! Now, let's go to Miamolta City, _da ze_!"

And with that, the six trainers ran forward as they exited Miamolta Forest.

They were met with sunlight as they saw that they were at route 103. There was another stream nearby, and a few tall trees that provided as nice shade for anyone who wanted to rest beneath them. There were also patches of tall grass around.

"So, what are you all going to do?" questioned Michelin once they all fully exited the forest.

"Why, look for Pokémon, of course!" Erika Soo spoke up. "We have to complete the Pokédex, after all. And furthermore, different Pokémon prefer living in different places. To put it another way, it's a chance to find different Pokémon than the ones in the forest."

"_Ve_~ I want to see _fratello _and _nonno _as soon as we enter the city!" Feliciano happily piped up.

"What are you gonna do, Leon?" Michelin asked him. "How about you, Yong Soo?"

Yong Soo responded enthusiastically, "I'm going to go to Miamolta City's Gym and challenge the Gym Leader, of course!"

"I, too," Leon nodded. "Pokémon trainers find out how good they really are by challenging the Leaders in Pokémon Gyms, after all."

"_Ve_~! So, I guess I'll be seeing you two soon, then!"

'_Soon?' _Emil wondered what Feliciano meant by that, however before he could question it, Yong Soo ran ahead in sheer determination with Leon casually following behind.

"I'm going to spend some time getting to know my Froakie," Michelin smiled. "Plus, I hear that the food in Miamolta is absolutely _amazing_."

"_Sí_! It is, it is!" Feliciano looked excited. "You should try the pasta and the pizza! Oooh! I know a really lovely place where they serve the _best _ravioli! And then afterwards, gelato is a good thing to have, too!"

Emil only listened to the conversation as he saw the city's buildings, which looked to be a good walking distance. He patted the Pokéball containing Fennekin as he, Feliciano, Michelin and Erika made their way to Miamolta City after Yong Soo and Leon.

Trying Miamolta's cuisine sounded nice, and admittedly, Emil was starting to get a bit hungry as the sun was setting, however he didn't at all feel tired.

No, instead he felt more fired up and determined.

He was already starting his Pokémon adventure, and he was already at the first city which would be where he'd have his first gym battle. Though yes, he was a bit nervous, he felt more eager and excited for a battle.

In all honesty, he couldn't wait.

* * *

**And here comes the end of Chapter 4. =^^= I'll get to work for the next chapter and post it tomorrow as well. :D**

**Just gonna say - when there are a _crap _load of trainers, I won't place the battles, but just the dialogue of the trainers instead. Otherwise the chapters would be far too long. C'8**

**Anyway, what will happen in Miamolta City? What will Emil do first? Challenge the Gym Leader, or explore around for a bit? Who exactly _is _the Gym Leader of Miamolta City, anyway?**

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst~ **

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	5. Miamolta City - Second Starter in Line!

**Hey there again, guys! Here with another chapter~! :D**

**Anyway, thanks goes to HoneyBeeGirl94 for the review. 8D**

HoneyBeeGirl94: **Thank you very much! I never really understood why Arthur and Alfred would be the protagonists, other than just because they're the favourites of the author, which isn't a bad thing, either. I just preferred using the younger characters for the protagonists. Especially Iceland, because I feel he has a lot of potential for this. :D just wait and see~ ;D**

**Now moving on~! **

* * *

The city of Miamolta consisted of many buildings that appeared to be tall, and constituted of many storeys. Since it was already the afternoon, the sky was orange with dapples of pink and blue in the sky. The roads were neat with what appeared to be only a few cabs here and there. There were what appeared to be narrow ways with arches, and even the buildings were vividly coloured with brighter toned bricks. There were people chatting about, or walking through the streets, while others appeared to be shopping and eating.

Emil admired the view of the city as Feliciano continued leading them towards a large building that consisted of white bricks, a black rooftop, a red and white striped cover for people who wanted to eat outside, and there were vines weaved around the top of the windows. Noticeably, it was also quite full with people.

"_Ciao_!" Feliciano called. "_Un tavolo per quattro, per favore~_!"

Coming inside, the restaurant appeared to be pretty busy with waiters and waitresses running back and forth serving tables or taking orders. The tables were covered by white tablecloths, and the seats were sturdy. The walls were mustard, and the lights were bright. The floor was carpeted and consisted of orange and red diamonds.

Emil seated himself beside Feliciano with Michelin on his other side. Erika was in between Michelin and Feliciano.

After the waiter handed them their menus, Emil was staring at the printing. Though the words were in Italian, there were translations of what some of the dishes were underneath them, however even then, the Icelandic trainer was still unsure what some of them even were.

'_Strolghino? Capicollo? Bresaola?' _Emil wondered to himself as he peered at the appetizers section. _'What exactly are those?' _Though he was somewhat unsure, a mixture of curiosity and caution filled him.

"Oh man…" Michelin looked like she was going to drool. "There's so much to pick from! I don't even know where to start!"

Erika giggled at the brunette's words, "I, too. And the smell is so lovely."

Indeed, the aroma of spices, rich sauces and finely prepared dishes filled the air. Emil felt his stomach growl – eager to be filled with food. His pale cheeks reddened a bit; he was glad that the hustle and bustle of the restaurant drowned out the noise.

"_Ve_~ I recommend the pasta!" Feliciano spoke up looking very excited. "It's very, very delicious! Oh! And be sure to order an entrée and dessert, too~!"

"Of course!" Michelin licked her lips. "Can't ever forget about dessert!"

"What are you going to order, Emil?" Erika asked, turning her attention to him.

Emil shrugged, "Honestly…I really don't know…"

"Pasta, Emil! Pick pasta~" Feliciano piped up.

"There's some things I don't know what they are," admitted Emil. "I'm really eager to try, but…I want to know what they are at least."

"Ohhh, okay!" Feliciano was grinning. "Well, in that case, just ask me! I know all the foods here! I can cook all of them, too!"

"Can you really?" Erika asked, very impressed.

"_Sí_, really!" Feliciano winked. "I can cook for you some time, if you'd like, _signorina _Erika~"

The Liechtenstein girl blushed a little bit before murmuring, "Well, okay then. If we reach a place to stay in the next town, then."

"Better save some for me!" Michelin laughed.

Feliciano joined in with her, "_Ve_~ but of course!"

Emil cleared his throat to capture the Italian's attention again – away from flirtation. "Well, Feli, what is this?" he pointed at one of the dishes on the menu. "_Strolghino_?"

"_Strolghino_?" Feliciano looked quite happy to share. "It's a salami made from pork! It is quite thin." Emil then gestured to the next name, and Feliciano explained cheerfully, "_Capicollo _is pork~ and _bresaola _is beef! It is _very _nice with olives, pickled onion and bread!"

"Sounds delicious," Michelin remarked.

"It is!"

"What about this one?" Emil questioned as he gestured at another dish on the menu.

"Ooooh, _bruschetta_~!" this time Feliciano looked delighted. "It's really, _really _tasty! It's a dish where you have this grilled bread rubbed with garlic, and topped off with olive oil, salt, and maybe other toppings like tomato, vegetable, beans, meat or cheese! I myself love it with some herbs, onion and mozzarella!"

Emil had to admit, that sounded really nice, "Okay. For appetizer, I'll have the _bruschetta_, then."

"_Ve~ _good choice, Emil!"

"That really does sound nice," Michelin agreed. "Okay, I think I'll order that, too!"

"I'll try the _crostini_," said Erika after reading the menu a bit more.

"Some _insalata caprese_ for me!" Feliciano grinned. "Now, what about main?"

'_Feliciano said that to try the pasta,' _Emil thought to himself. _'Which one, though?' _He then spoke up, "Hey, Feli – what pasta do you recommend?"

This time, Feliciano looked upset, "What? But…why do I have to choose?"

"I'm not saying that you should," Emil was taken aback at the usually bubbly Italian's sudden drop of mood. "I'm just asking what you recommend?"

"B-but…I don't discriminate!"

Giving a sigh, Emil decided to just pick a pasta dish so that the Italian wouldn't be so distressed anymore. "I'll try beef ravioli, then…"

Interestingly enough, everyone else also ordered it. Then, the final dish came up – dessert. For that one, Emil ordered the _tiramisu_ along with Michelin, while Feliciano and Erika ordered the _panna cotta_. For drinks, Emil ordered cola; Michelin ordered some fresh water with Erika; and Feliciano ordered _caffé macchiato_, which he explained to the group was an espresso coffee drink with a small amount of milk added.

Once their food was brought out, the aroma wafted straight into Emil's nose, and he felt like he was floating on air. He couldn't help but relax and suddenly feel close to the verge of drooling. He licked his lips as he took a bite out of the _bruschetta _and his mouth was filled with a palette of tangy, salty, sweet and even somewhat bitter flavours.

It was really delicious.

The ravioli was rich in both smell and flavour. The sauce was full, and the pasta was silky. The meat was cooked to perfection, and also provided a beautifully salty texture.

It was clear that everyone loved their dishes as Michelin kept voicing how delicious it was, and even Erika remarked at how beautifully cooked the food was. Feliciano was absolutely ecstatic as he ate and spoke so rapidly, though not at the same time, thank goodness.

By the time dessert was carried out, Emil felt full, but in a content way. He wasn't bloated, but he felt like he had a good, hearty meal. Still, as he ate his _tiramisu_, he couldn't help but wonder about Lukas. He wondered if his brother was having dinner right now, and wondered if he was feeling lonely without him.

He quickly squashed those thoughts down.

Once they paid the bill by paying for their own meals, they left the restaurant in good spirits.

"That was awesome!" Michelin looked absolutely giddy. "All the food was so delicious! I'd definitely love to eat here again!"

"I would, too," Erika smiled, looking very pleased. "Very lovely food, and it's quite filling."

"_Ve_~ that is Italian food, for you!" Feliciano declared, looking absolutely happy that his friends enjoyed the dining experience. "How about you, Emil?"

"It was really nice," Emil nodded in agreement. "I'd come back."

They were walking just down the street – not too many blocks away from the restaurant – when a voice suddenly called out, "_Fratello_? Is that you?!"

When the group looked forward, there was a young man who looked quite like Feliciano. He had green eyes and his curl was bent and angular. He was wearing a green shirt and black pants. He was smiling from ear-to-ear as he was waving at them.

"Giorgio!" Feliciano looked absolutely ecstatic as he ran forward and hugged the young man. "_Fratellino~_! How are you doing~?"

"Very good! How about you, _fratello_?" Giorgio was beaming. Looking past the slightly taller Italian, he added, "I see you have two lovely girls with you~"

Emil rolled his eyes, _'Another one?' _However, he came forward with Erika and Michelin as Feliciano introduced them to the young man.

"Emil, Michelin, Erika! Say hello to my younger brother!" said Feliciano happily. "This is Giorgio!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Giorgio," Erika said as she gave a polite curtsy.

"Oh, believe me, the pleasure is all mine, _signorina_~" Giorgio took a gloved hand of the blonde's, and brought it to his lips. He gave a little wink, which caused Erika to redden and stand a bit closer to Michelin. "And what is your name, _signorina_~?" Giorgio questioned to Michelin.

"Michelin," responded the Seychellois girl. "Hey there!"

"Hello to you, too~" Giorgio again brought the girl's hand to his lips before kissing it. This action caused Michelin to flush brilliantly and stand a bit closer to Emil. Emil himself narrowed his amethyst eyes in direction of the younger Italian. Giorgio then turned his attention to him, "And you are, _signor_?"

"Emil," the Icelandic boy replied nonchalantly.

"Nice to meet you, _signor_ Emil," Giorgio smiled as he stretched his arm out. Emil took it and shook it after some hesitance. "So, I assume you're all either here to visit _nonno _or to go to the gym, _sí_?"

"_Sí_, _sí_!" Feliciano confirmed with big nods. "Though Leon and Yong Soo already went to the gym!"

"Ahhh~ I see," Giorgio nodded. "Well, I think you should visit _nonno_, first. I'm sure the gym is full by now!"

"Full?" questioned Michelin. "Why would it be full?"

"Oh, you'll see~" Giorgio winked. "But, why don't we all go and see _nonno_, first?"

"Who is _nonno_?" asked Emil.

"Our grandpa," Giorgio replied with a chuckle. "He also runs the sole Pokémon laboratory here!"

"Your grandpa?" Erika looked shocked. "Could your grandfather be Professor Romulus Vargas?"

Giorgio laughed, "I see you are very clever, _signorina_~ very lovely quality! But, yes – he is our grandfather. And he loves to research on Pokémon, too!"

As they started to make their way to the laboratory to Professor Romulus Vargas, who was also Feliciano and Giorgio's grandfather, Giorgio was starting up a conversation. However, Emil felt a bit irritated at the younger Italian's flirtations with the girls. He was even more shameless than Feliciano. Every time they walked by a pretty-looking girl though, both Italians would either greet or wink at her, which caused Emil to get tired and not wait to reach the lab.

The laboratory was a large, three-storey building made from sand-coloured bricks. There was a white roof, and the flowers outside were in colourful splashes.

"Where are you from, anyway, Emil?" Giorgio suddenly questioned as they entered the laboratory.

"Heima Town," Emil responded curtly.

"We all come from Heima, actually," Erika added.

"Wow, you've all travelled quite a long way!" Giorgio commented. "But well, you're finally here!"

The inside of the laboratory was a bit similar to Professor Katyusha's back at Pochatok Town, however the walls were brightly coloured with white floors, and noticeably, quite a number of women were inside. The secretary was a beautiful woman, and there were quite a couple of lady scientists carrying out with the machines and a few Pokémon.

"_Ve_~ I can't wait to see _nonno_ again!" Feliciano looked like he was almost going to bounce on his spot. "He's on the third floor, _sí_?"

Giorgio chuckled, "As always, _fratello_! Just go to the elevator~"

Going into the elevator, Emil pressed the button as it went up. Feliciano was, by now, looking extremely happy and excited. He really couldn't stay still in his spot. This made Emil feel a bit uncomfortable. Michelin herself looked quite excited, and Erika, though calm, definitely looked like she was also enthusiastic.

When the elevator stopped and opened, the four of them came out onto a floor with red carpeting. Going further, they noticed quite a number of machines as well as a desk with a laptop on it.

There was also a man there.

He was deeply tanned with both his hair and eyes being a dark brown. He also had wild curls in his hair, but there were two of them instead – one on the upper right side of his head, and the other at the lower left side. He was wearing a white lab-coat with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, along with a mustard shirt with a red tie, as well as dark slacks and dress shoes. He also had stubble on his chin.

"_Ve_~ _nonno_!" Feliciano cried out happily as he ran towards him.

Upon hearing the voice, the man seemed to light up immediately. At once, he ran forward and wrapped his arms around the Italian, before exclaiming, "My little Feli~! Ah, it is so nice to see you! How are you?"

"Doing really well, _nonno_~" Feliciano replied happily. "And how are you~?"

"Very splendidly!" the man laughed heartily. He then took notice of the other three, and waved at them, "Ah~! And these are your friends, Feli?"

"_Sí_! _Sí_!" Feliciano then ran back and began eagerly pushing them all towards his grandfather. "Everyone! This is my _nonno_, or grandfather!"

Emil was gazing at the man towering him in disbelief – _this _was Feliciano and Giorgio's grandfather? But…he didn't even look that old. He could pass off as Feliciano's father, most probably, but grandfather? The Icelandic boy was stunned on how he could look so young.

"My little Feli calls me _nonno_, but others call me Professor Romulus Vargas!" proclaimed Feliciano's grandfather. "However, feel free to just call me Romulus~!" He then leaned down and beamed in Emil's face. Emil felt his whole figure tense upon the proximity between their faces were. "And what is your name, _signor_? You are quite a handsome one!"

Upon hearing that, Emil's cheeks exploded into red – this was the first time somebody ever called him handsome. Remembering where he was, though, he straightened his posture and cleared his throat before it could become shaky. "I-I'm Emil," he inwardly cursed at the stammer. "Emil from Heima Town."

"I'm Michelin," the pig-tailed girl spoke up as she placed a hand over her chest. "I'm also from Heima."

"And I am Erika – originally I was from Edel City, then I came to move to Heima, too," the green-eyed blonde said with a little curtsy. "It is a big pleasure to meet you, Professor Vargas."

"And it is my pleasure to meet all of you!" Professor Romulus laughed. "_Fantastico_!My littleFeli has such beautiful and lovely friends~!" He then motioned for them to follow him, "Now, come this way, won't you please~?"

Emil exchanged glances with Michelin who looked just as puzzled as he was. However, seeing Feliciano skip eagerly in direction to where Professor Romulus walked, they followed suit. Professor Romulus led them to a big room with a red carpet, a couple of framed paintings all around him of Renaissance style, and a mahogany desk with a couple of papers and notes in front of a window. Emil also noticed that there was a gramophone that was on another table nearby.

"Many thanks for all of you coming all the way from Heima Town!" Professor Romulus smiled. "How is your Pokémon journey going so far? Have you met many different Pokémon?"

Michelin nodded, "Yeah! Yeah, we did!"

"_Fantastico~_!" Professor Romulus looked highly pleased. "Now, let's all have a Pokémon battle!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked – even Feliciano opened his eyes.

"Your opponent shall be me~!"

This shocked everyone else even further.

"A Pokémon battle in the lab?" questioned Michelin.

"Well, it really isn't that strange to have Pokémon battling in a lab just to see a Pokémon's growth and progress," Erika reasoned slowly. "At least, that was what Professor Katyusha had told me once before."

Emil however felt ready. He was having his adrenaline pumping ever since Miamolta Forest where he was beating trainers left and right while he was with Feliciano. Though eating at the restaurant calmed him down a bit, he felt it pump right back up, and so, he felt ready and eager for another battle. He wasn't sure if having this much self-confidence was a bad thing, but what he did know was that he wanted to have a battle.

So for that, he stepped forward, "Okay. I accept your challenge."

"_Ve_~? Emil?" Feliciano looked at the silver-haired youth in question.

Professor Romulus laughed, "_Eccellente_!" He then reached for a Pokéball in his lab-coat and threw it forward.

Once the white light disappeared, it revealed a small, light green Pokémon that looked like a turtle. Its eyes, feet and lower jaw were yellow, while its body was covered by a brown shell that was composed of earth. The shell also had a thick, black stripe and rim. There appeared to be a small seedling growing on a brown patch on its head. "Twig!" it called out.

Emil immediately took out his Pokédex, "_Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. It undertakes photosynthesis with its body, making oxygen. The leaf on its head wilts if it is thirsty. The shell on its back is actually hardened soil."_

"Good of you to check up on Pokémon you've never seen before!" Professor Romulus said in approval.

Emil simply nodded before throwing his own Pokéball, "Go, Fennekin!"

"Fenne!" the Fox Pokémon landed daintily on its feet before getting ready.

'_Looks like a Grass-type,' _Emil thought to himself. Likewise, he ordered, "Fennekin, use Ember!"

"Kiiin!" the Fire-type unleashed bursts of flames from its mouth right at the Tiny Leaf Pokémon, causing major damage.

"It was super effective!" gasped Erika.

"Turtwig, use Tackle!" called Professor Romulus.

"Turtwig!" the Grass-type turtle ran forward and barged right into Fennekin, knocking it back. "Twig! Twig!"

"Fenne!" Fennekin squeaked as it landed on its feet. It grit its teeth and growled, looking irritated.

"Ember one more time!" called Emil.

Upon the command, Fennekin immediately ran a little forward before opening its mouth to unleash more Ember. The Fire-type attack struck Turtwig again, blasting it back before being down for the count.

"Turtwig's unable to battle!" exclaimed Michelin.

Professor Romulus returned the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. He smiled, "Good job, little one." He then took another ball and threw it out, "Come on out, Chimchar!"

"Char, Chimchar!" the next Pokémon had orange fur while its face outer ears, underbelly, hands and feet were a very pale yellow. Its ears were large in comparison to its head size, and were red inside. It also had red markings nearly surrounding its brown eyes, and a swirl-like symbol on its chest. It also had a swirly crest of hair on its head, and had five fingers on its hands while it had three toes on its feet.

The Pokédex once more, was turned to – though this time, Michelin also looked at it, "_Chimchar, the Chimp Pokémon. It is very agile. Before going to sleep, it extinguishes the flame on its tail to prevent fires. Its fiery rear end is fuelled by gas made in its belly. Even rain can't extinguish the fire. The fire burns weakly when it feels sick._"

"Emil obviously can't use Ember with this one," Erika noted.

"Definitely not," Michelin agreed.

Still, Emil was not deterred, "Fennekin, use Scratch!"

"You use Scratch, too, Chimchar!" Professor Romulus ordered with a pumped smile.

"Kin!" Fennekin ran forward with its claws stretched forward.

"Char!" Chimchar also ran forward.

Soon, the two Pokémon landed scratching blows to the other's face. Once that was done, both leapt back and looked even more determined.

"Use Taunt, Chimchar!" Professor Romulus called.

"Char~" Chimchar then stuck its tongue out at Fennekin. The fire on its rear end burned a bit brighter before it lowered its eye and blew a raspberry. It leapt around so its back was facing Fennekin. Needless to say, Fennekin was _not _impressed. In fact, it looked livid. It was growling angrily before it suddenly ran forward and tackled it by itself. Chimchar was surprised at the Fox Pokémon's actions, but continued taunting its opponent, angering Fennekin more.

Emil really didn't know what to say at first, however he took charge upon getting annoyed by how childish Chimchar looked as well. "Fennekin, Scratch again!" he commanded.

"Fenne!" Fennekin gladly ran forward and scratched at Chimchar's face – this type using two paws rather than one as it did before.

"Char!" Chimchar was blown back once from the first Scratch. However, the second one looked more powerful.

"Scratch, Chimchar!" Professor Romulus shouted, looking a bit amused at the conduct between the two Fire-type Pokémon.

"Scratch as well!" Emil called.

Though Chimchar was faster and came towards Fennekin first, the fire Fox moved its head to one side and scratched the Chimp Pokémon in the face, still furious it seemed from the Taunt. Regardless, Chimchar was knocked back once again, "Chimchar!"

"One more time! Another Scratch!" Emil yelled.

"Fenne…!" the Fox Pokémon then sprinted forward again. "Kin!" it gave another powerful Scratch on Chimchar's face, this time causing it to fly back. Chimchar struggled to get up at first, however it soon gave way and collapsed – seeing stars.

"And Chimchar is unable to battle, too!" Erika this time looked very impressed.

"Kin!" Fennekin gave a huff and lifted its nose up high in the air. Emil just stared at his Pokémon.

Professor Romulus meanwhile praised his fallen Fire-type before he called, "You are very good at this, Emil! It's clear to me that you're raising your Fennekin very well! However, this last one won't be easy! Now, go! Piplup!"

The last Pokémon was a light blue and penguin-like and covered in thick down. It had a dark blue head with a primarily white face, and a short, yellow beak. The dark blue feathers on its head extended down to its back and around its neck, which caused it to appear like it was wearing a cape. There were two white ovals on its chest, and a small, light-blue marking resembling a crown above its beak. It had flippers, and yellow feet with three toes each.

This time, it was Erika who looked at it while Feliciano cooed, "_Ve~_! So cute~!" Michelin wholeheartedly agreed with him.

"_Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon," _said the Pokédex's mechanical drone. "_Because it is very proud, it hates accepting food from people. A poor walker, it often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care. Its thick down guards it from the cold._"

'_Definitely looks like a Water-type,' _Emil thought to himself, starting to up his guard. _'I better be careful…'_

And indeed, Professor Romulus began what the Icelandic boy was worried about, "Piplup, use Bubble!"

"Piplup!" the Penguin Pokémon opened its tiny beak, and unleashed myriads of glowing, blue bubbles right at Fennekin.

"Dodge, quickly!" Emil cried.

"Fen!" Fennekin snorted before nimbly jumping away and sidestepping from the Bubble attack. It huffed again, looking far from eager than how it did when it was first brought out into the battle.

"Use Howl!"

Fennekin this time reared back its head before letting out a rather bone-chilling howl. Feliciano squeaked, "_Ve_! That sounded scary!" Even Erika and Michelin had to agree that it sounded rather eerie.

"Go and use Bubble again!" Professor Romulus ordered.

"Plup!" the Water-type again opened its beak.

"Dodge and use Scratch!" Emil shouted, feeling more on edge. "Hurry!"

Fennekin dodged a few times before it got struck by a few of the glowing, blue bubbles. However, this didn't detract from its determination – it launched forward and this time scratched Piplup in the face again, knocking it back.

"Pi-pi-pi-pi-Piplup…!" true to the Pokédex's entry, Piplup had fallen over and landed on its tail. It shook its head, and got up again, though, looking more determined. It puffed its chest out.

"Pound, Piplup!" shouted Professor Romulus.

"Scratch again!" Emil yelled.

Both Fennekin and Piplup launched at each other with their respective move at the ready. They then suddenly went past each other and stopped on their tracks. They both stopped and their eyes darted to the side in an attempt to see if the other would falter first.

Fennekin then gave a little growl as a pain struck its knee, causing it to fall on it. Emil's violet eyes widened, and a collective gasp sounded from Michelin, Erika and Feliciano.

Suddenly, Piplup gave a loud cry before collapsing into a heap. It was seeing stars, and no longer able to battle.

Upon seeing that, Professor Romulus gave a laugh before giving an exaggerated shrug, "Oh, you're too much for me, _ragazzo_!" Upon returning Piplup, he chuckled in mirth, "You truly are something, aren't you, Emil~?"

"T-thank you," Emil couldn't help but blush a little. His heart was still thumping quickly in his chest, and there was some sweat gathering at the sides of his head. He smiled at Fennekin and bent over, petting its head, "Thank you so much, Fennekin."

"Fenne~" Fennekin looked highly satisfied with its victory and the affection it was gaining from its trainer.

"You know what? I think I figured it out!" exclaimed Professor Romulus.

"_Ve_~? Figure what out, _nonno_?" questioned Feliciano.

"Emil! You are quite an interesting Pokémon trainer, indeed!" Profess Romulus declared as he placed his three Pokéballs in what appeared to be a healing machine. "I also notice that you only have one on you, so I think it would be fantastic if you took another Pokémon with you!"

"A-another?" Emil was very taken aback. "B-but…"

"No buts!"

Emil felt a bit guilty and confused – wasn't he supposed to be _catching_ Pokémon? Just being given another one by a professor, he felt that it was…cheating somehow. Was this even acceptable?

"I see that expression on your face," Professor Romulus this time had a thoughtful and softer smile rather than the big beams that he flashed. "And not to worry – you earned it by battling me! Now, here! Pick one~" Professor Romulus suddenly threw up the three Pokéballs containing the Pokémon that he used in the battle earlier. At once, a huge blast of white light was unleashed before the three Pokémon – Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup – landed on the carpeted floor and looked up in excitement.

"How about that?" Michelin was laughing heartily. "You get another one!"

Emil couldn't help but feel bad. "Can they get one, too?" he asked Professor Romulus as he motioned at Michelin, Erika and Feliciano.

"It's okay, Emil," Erika smiled. "I was given one at the laboratory in Edel City, and my big brother also gave me one as a gift. You shouldn't be feeling guilty – think of it as a present."

"Yeah!" Michelin smacked Emil's back. "A present for really training Fennekin up! That was a great battle!"

"_Ve_~ and you beat _nonno_!" Feliciano smiled. "That's not an easy feat!"

"It's not?" Emil felt a bit better upon hearing that.

"If anything, I think Emil, Michelin and Feli should take from the three," Erika spoke up.

"Oooh, I'd love one!" Feliciano beamed. "They're all so, so cute~!"

Michelin this time looked a bit guilty, "You don't really need to…"

"I insist!" Professor Romulus grinned. "These three have been waiting for a trainer to take them out into the world! Now, come on~! Who will you choose~?"

'_I guess it's okay,' _Emil thought to himself. _'I wonder who I should pick…"_

The three Pokémon looked up at him – eagerness highly apparent on their little faces as the Icelandic boy rubbed at his chin.

* * *

**[Characters]  
Giorgio - Seborga  
Romulus - Grandpa Rome**

**Who shall Emil choose? Well, I actually know already, and will post it in the next chapter. =^^= it was determined from the choice of the Kalos starter. ;D**

**Anyway, tune in next time where we FINALLY meet the gym leader and see who they are! 8D**

**I don't think there needs to really be a clue as to who it is. 0w0**

**Peace!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	6. Set Rival Declaration? Emil and Yong Soo

**Hey guys, here with another chapter of Poketalia Edition: Amethyst. w**

**Just an apology for two things:  
1\. Sorry for not updating in a week or so, but I was a little busy. ^^'  
2\. The Gym Leader IS revealed, however Emil doesn't meet them yet. The Gym Leader will be met in the next chapter due to not being able to fit everything in this one chapter, and deciding to split it into two chapters instead. 0w0**

**Anyway, HUGE thanks to HoneyBeeGirl94 and APHUnitedNations for the reviews! :D**

HoneyBeeGirl94: **Feliciano totally is like Brock. XD**

APHUnitedNations:** Italian food is delicious, isn't it~? X3 just read and see who the first gym leader is~ though again, I apologize - they won't be seen yet, but they ARE revealed as Emil goes to the Miamolta Gym. :D Emil and Lukas are indeed quite an adorable pair of brothers, and I'm really eager to write the part where they finally battle, though that'll take a long time. X3 hehe, Beautifly are indeed beautiful. =^^= yep, the battle scenes can get tedious, so I decided to just write the trainer dialogues before and after battle instead. XD of course Feli wouldn't discriminate pasta~ ohhh, wait and see which starter Emil will pick. ;D**

**Anyway, tune in right now for Poketalia Edition: Amethyst!**

* * *

"I choose Piplup," Emil decided.

Upon hearing this, the Penguin Pokémon looked absolutely ecstatic and gave a cheerful chirp. However, just as quickly, it smoothed out its front, and stood straight with a rather proud expression on its face. Turtwig looked disappointed, while Chimchar looked really distraught at not being picked.

Professor Romulus just gave a laugh, "A fine choice! I'm sure you and Piplup will do well together!"

"Kin…" Fennekin simply sniffed at the blue Water-type. Piplup looked a bit shocked at first at the sniffing, however, after seeing the Fox Pokémon give a much friendlier yip, the Penguin Pokémon looked to be in better spirits, albeit still maintaining its proud demeanour.

"What about you, _signorina _Michelin?" Professor Romulus questioned with a warm smile. "Who would you like for your partner?"

"Uh, well…" Michelin rubbed her chin. "To be honest, I really wanted to pick Piplup…"

"Oh! Sorry…" Emil felt a bit embarrassed as he clutched at his nape. His cheeks reddened a little while Piplup puffed its chest out, looking absolutely proud at hearing that the Seychellois girl had wanted to pick it, too.

"Oh, no! Don't be!" the pig-tailed girl laughed as she shook her head. "You fought Professor Vargas-"

"Ah, please, you can all just call me Professor Romulus~!" Feliciano's grandfather chuckled before he gave a wink.

"Professor Romulus fair and square," Michelin continued. "So, of course it's fair for you to have the first pick!"

"I…guess…" said Emil hesitantly. Fennekin then nudged his leg and rubbed a little against it, as if reassuring him. The silver-haired youth gave a weak smile at it, and bent down to scratch behind the Fire-type's ears. Piplup watched with interest at the two.

"So, _signorina_? Would you like to pick from my remaining two starters?" Professor Romulus asked in Michelin's direction. "_Signor _Emil over there seems like he wants you to pick, too~ and I know that these Pokémon will also want a kind trainer to take care of them, too!" Upon that, Turtwig and Chimchar eagerly expressed their agreements. "How about it?"

"Hmmm…" Michelin again rubbed her chin, gazing down at the keen faces of the two remaining Pokémon. After a little bit more of contemplation, she finally announced, "Okay, then! I pick Turtwig!"

"Char…?!" Chimchar looked absolutely devastated this time.

Beside it, Turtwig on the other hand looked delighted. "Twig, twig!" it bayed happily.

"Oh, don't be upset, little one!" Professor Romulus patted the now upset Chimp Pokémon who looked to be on the verge of tears. "After, my little Feli-"

"I did it!" a loud voice boomed from the corridor leading to Professor Romulus' office. "I did it! I got it, _da ze_! Whoooooo!"

"Yong Soo, slow down already! There's no need to run, like, seriously…!"

Looking around, Emil, Michelin, Feliciano and Erika saw Yong Soo bounce into the room looking absolutely proud of himself. The Korean boy was standing even taller with a big grin spread out on his face, and he looked very proud of himself. Leon came in after him, panting somewhat, however also looking a bit satisfied. Upon seeing their expressions, Emil had a feeling he knew why both Asian boys looked quite please.

"_Ve_~! There you two are!" Feliciano piped up. "Yong Soo, Leon, say hello to my _nonno_!"

"You're Professor Romulus Vargas," said Leon as he bowed while shaking the man's hand.

"Ah, so you have heard of me!" Professor Romulus looked quite pleased himself. "It is nice to hear that a dashing young _signor _like yourself knows of me~!"

"Hey, Feli's grandpa!" Yong Soo smoothed himself as he, too, bowed in greeting before also shaking his hand. Emil was surprised to see how formal and polite the Korean suddenly made of himself.

"Everyone's all here now," Erika noted with a little smile.

"_Splendido_!" exclaimed Professor Romulus. "So, now that you're all here, I'd like to say a few words. Be the best trainer you can be! And at the same time, do remember to have fun travelling with your Pokémon! There is also something I want to ask for your help on."

"What is it, _nonno_?" questioned Feliciano.

"It is a big Pokémon mystery," continued Professor Romulus. "The secret and potential of Mega Evolution, a new kind of evolution that occurs in battle!"

"Mega Evolution?" inquired Erika. "What should we do about the Pokédex?"

"My fair _signorina_~" Professor Romulus smiled. "If that is what _'best trainer' _means to you, then I want you to go out there and complete that Pokédex!"

"Mega Evolution, huh?" Leon murmured. "Sounds really interesting."

"If you're investigating Mega Evolution, why don't you check out Hanakai City?" suggested Professor Romulus. "That city has a _lot _of history – you might find a hint there!"

"That's where the next badge will be!" Yong Soo piped up excitedly. "We'll definitely get there, _da ze_!"

"_Magnifico_~!" Professor Romulus was clapping his hands. "Also, if you visit many different places to complete the Pokédex, you will probably see Pokémon with many ways of living, and meet people with many ways of thinking! First, accept the ways of living and thinking that sometimes conflict with your own. And think about what's really important – this will _truly _broaden your horizons~"

Emil was taken aback at how serious Feliciano's grandfather looked as he said that; he didn't think the older man had it in him. Still, he was a professor, so it shouldn't be that unexpected.

"I feel that being different from others is what makes me special," Leon stated.

"Mastering Mega Evolution will definitely set you apart from other trainers!" laughed Michelin. Leon seemed even more in better spirits upon hearing that – the corners of his lips seemed to twitch upward.

"It definitely sounds interesting," Yong Soo himself looked intrigued. "I'd like to see that in battle, _da ze_!"

"_Ve_~ you look even more pumped than usual," Feliciano noted. "Does that mean…?"

"Yep!" Yong Soo whipped out a shining, silver case and opened it to reveal a sparkling badge glimmering in a spot at the left-hand corner. "I got it!"

"That's…!" Emil's violet eyes widened. His eyes boggled when he saw Leon also take out his badge case and show that he had the same badge lying on the left-hand corner.

"Oh! That's the Miamolta Gym badge!" Professor Romulus looked quite excited. "That must mean that you've beaten my little Lovi~!"

"Your _'little Lovi'_?" Michelin asked in confusion.

"Oh, you do not know?" Professor Romulus guffawed. "The gym leader of this city is my eldest grandson, and Feliciano's older brother, Lovino~!"

"Well, that certainly explains it," Leon remarked. "He looked a lot like Feliciano, except a bit older, totally ruder, and he swore a lot…"

Professor Romulus however didn't at all looked miffed, instead he clapped his hands together and happily remarked, "That is my little Lovi~!"

"I didn't know your brother was a gym leader," Erika said in surprise at Feliciano's direction.

"_Ve_~ he is~!" Feliciano nodded enthusiastically. "He's been one for several months already!"

"Well," Emil licked his lips before returning both Fennekin and Piplup. "I think it's time I go and face the gym leader this time."

"Hey, yeah!" Michelin piped up. "I'd love to see that battle!"

"Just a heads-up, though," Leon warned. "Though Yong Soo and I beat him, he did beat a few trainers after throwing a tantrum. It was so bizarre…"

Feliciano chuckled, "That's my _fratello_~!" The Italian then clapped his hands, "_Ve_~ I know! Leon and Yong Soo! Maybe one of you can take Chimchar instead!"

"What?" Leon arched a bushy eyebrow before his brown eyes caught side of the Chimp Pokémon who looked happy again.

"Hey, I'd be happy to take it, _da ze_!" Yong Soo immediately crouched down and grinned at the Fire-type. He had a fist reached out. Chimchar stared at it for a moment but it then chattered happily before extending its own fist and bumping it against the Korean's. Leon only stared in silence with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"That settles it, then~!" Professor Romulus looked satisfied that the three Pokémon now had a trainer. "And you beating my little Lovi, I am very positive that you will look after Chimchar just fine!"

"You can count on me!" Yong Soo saluted in the man's direction.

Emil swallowed, however he simply gave a nod before thanking Professor Romulus again for his second Pokémon along with Michelin. Once that was complete, the group took the elevator down to the lobby and decided to talk about what will happen next.

"I'm pretty hungry…" Yong Soo gave an embarrassed chuckle as he rubbed at his stomach. "That gym battle _really _took a lot outta me."

"I can lead you to a really nice restaurant, Yong Soo!" Feliciano chirped.

Michelin happily agreed, "Try the beef ravioli! It's _amazing_!"

Yong Soo responded with a laugh, "Okay, I will, _da ze_!"

"What about you, Michelin?" Emil questioned.

"I think I'd like to watch you battle the gym leader," Michelin grinned.

Erika also nodded, "I, too, would also like to watch if you don't mind."

Emil couldn't help but feel flattered yet embarrassed. Feeling heat seep into his cheeks again, he rubbed the back of his head, "I don't mind…yeah, it's okay."

The green-eyed blonde then turned in Leon's direction, "What about you, Leon? What are you going to do?"

"There's a place I want to go to," Leon responded. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

And with that, he left.

"There goes Leo…" Yong Soo sighed with a tut. However he then nudged Emil, "Anyway, there's something I wanna talk to Emil about. Y'know Café Luna?"

"Err…" Emil looked unsure, but Feliciano piped up, "_Ve_~! I do! I can lead him there!"

"Sweet!" Yong Soo gave a thumbs-up. "I'll be waiting for you there!"

And before Emil could question him about what he wanted to even talk about, the Korean left as well. Everyone was just as unsure as he was.

"_Ve_~ I wonder what Yong Soo wants to talk about," pondered Feliciano.

"No clue, but it seems like a boy thing," noted Erika.

"It _is _Yong Soo," Michelin shrugged. She then playfully nudged Emil's shoulder, "Don't worry about him, alright, Emil? I'm sure it's not something bad! Though, I _am _curious about what's going on."

"I can lead you to Café Luna, if you'd like!" Feliciano smiled. "It's a nice place to eat, too~"

"Okay," Emil nodded.

Erika and Michelin, meanwhile, spoke up that the both of them would go around Miamolta City instead. What Yong Soo wanted to say to Emil seemed like something they wouldn't want to interfere in, so they decided to let the boys do their own thing.

Feliciano was eagerly leading Emil to Café Luna. The building was painted black, but there was a white roof and vines with yellow flowers entangling around the top. Emil noticed that the sky was already darkening to a dark blue. He placed his hands in the pockets of his pants as he began to wonder what Yong Soo wanted to talk to him about. He certainly hoped that it wasn't something bad.

Yong Soo was also outside with his hands in the pockets of his jacket. When Yong Soo saw Emil and Feliciano, he waved happily in their direction. However, when Feliciano came to the two of them, Yong Soo spoke up, "Sorry, Feli, but could I just talk to Emil alone?"

"Alone?" Feliciano tilted his head in slight confusion, however he chirped happily. "_Ve_~! I'm okay with that! I think I'll just eat some gelato at my _fratello's_ gym! How about I meet the both of you there?"

"That'd be great," Emil nodded. "Where is it?"

Feliciano then pointed, "Go down the street, turn left and you'll see a huge square with a fountain. Once you're there, you'll see the gym! Okay? Okay! _Ciao~_!"

And with that, the happy Italian bounced away, but not before flirting with one of the waitresses. Emil simply gave a sigh.

"Could you come here for a sec?" Yong Soo gestured with his head to the inside of Café Luna. Emil shrugged his shoulders and followed him inside.

The inside of Café Luna consisted of walls that were painted black, but the floor was of navy blue carpet. The tables were dark brown oak as were the chairs, and the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing. Yong Soo had taken a seat and Emil followed suit across from him.

For a moment, there was silence as Yong Soo quietly surveyed Emil, which made the Icelandic boy feel a little unnerved at how quiet the Korean was. _'Why is he looking at me like that?' _he wondered to himself. Still, he didn't dare show his nervousness or discomfort and remained cool. He crossed his arms over his chest and simply stared back.

Yong Soo then leaned back on his chair and finally spoke, "I got something to ask you."

"What is it?" Emil questioned.

"Would you be willing to compete with me to see which of us will become stronger?"

The question wasn't really what Emil was expecting. "What?" was all that he could sputter out.

"I know we all set off on our journey just after you arrived in Heima Town…" Yong Soo chuckled at the other boy's surprise. "But I think it'd be fun to have a competition with you." He then looked at him with a spark in his brown eyes, "Just so y'know, I won't lose~"

Emil felt himself relax, and upon hearing Yong Soo's proposition and seeing the spark ignite in his eyes, the Icelandic boy felt fire fuel in his own being. "Yeah? Well, I'm not intending on losing, either," he retorted.

Yong Soo smiled, "That's the spirit, _da ze_!"

The little talk with Yong Soo just made Emil even more fired up now. It was also a good boost of confidence as he got the impression that Yong Soo found him worthy of being a rival. Emil had never seen the brunette in a battle, however he must be skilled enough to have gotten a badge. _'I can do it, too,'_ he thought to himself, feeling determined.

"So, how about it?" Yong Soo stretched his arms out. "Let's go the Miamolta Gym right now!"

With that, Yong Soo led Emil in direction to Miamolta City Gym so that the silver-haired boy could finally partake in his first gym challenge. Exiting Café Luna, they went straight then turned left to see the grassy square that Feliciano had described. There was a fountain, and flowers were blooming everywhere. Emil then saw a building with a huge sign that was painted on it, _"Miamolta Gym." _The gym building was a large, three-storey building made from tanned bricks. There was a red cover, and the windows panels were clean with black sills. Emil could see that there were some people dining inside – it really looked like a normal café.

Outside, Emil also noticed that there was another sign. He read it to himself, _'Miamolta City Gym, Leader Lovino. The one who seeks the right path!'_

Coming inside, it still looked like a normal café. There were some people dining, and the aroma of food made Emil's mouth start to water again. The walls were painted beige, the floor was this time carpeted with green, and there was a bar as well.

"Oh, you're back!" a waitress remarked in Yong Soo's direction. "Oh, and I see you have a friend with you~"

Yong Soo chortled, "Yep! Here's my friend, Emil! He wants to do the gym challenge order, _da ze_!"

"Gym challenge order?" Emil asked in confusion. He noticed two Kangaskhan statues and read the engraved words on a panel. _'Miamolta City Gym, Leader Lovino. Certified trainers…' _Emil noticed two names that stuck out at the bottom and where the etching looked recent, _'Im Yong Soo, Leon Wang.'_

"_Ve_~! Hey, guys!" Feliciano exclaimed as he waved his arm enthusiastically from his table. He was eating what appeared to be three different scoops of gelato in a cup. Emil waved hesitantly while Yong Soo waved back with as much gusto.

"Come right this way~!" the waitress started to beckon Emil towards Feliciano's table. Yong Soo also sat down and eagerly opened a menu, "I wasn't able to eat before, but now I'm gonna eat _everything_, _da ze_!"

"_Ve_~ eat all you want, _da ze_!" Feliciano beamed brightly.

When the waitress left, Emil then questioned, "So…what do I do? I don't understand…"

Yong Soo explained with a beam, "Well, y'know each gyms have their own puzzles and gimmick, right?"

"Right."

"For Miamolta City's gym, the leader, _fratello_ also runs the family restaurant~!" explained Feliciano as he continued eating his gelato. "When he was appointed as gym leader by the Pokémon League officials, he renovated the family restaurant into his own gym! _Nonno _was really happy with how it looks~!"

Emil nodded, "I see. I understand that." He could definitely recall Lukas' gym – it used to be an old building, but after renovating it with paint and some repairs as well as a personal touch on his older brother's part, it became quite a lovely place that suited the blonde. "So…" Emil rubbed the back of his head. "What do I do now, then?"

"For _fratello's _gym, you battle the staff!" Feliciano grinned.

"The staff?" Emil looked quite taken aback. He saw the waitresses running around, and can make out some of the chefs hustling in the back door where the kitchen was. "Really?"

"_Sí_!" Feliciano was bobbing his head up and down as he ate some more gelato.

"All of them?"

"All of them!"

"Hey, I'm ready to order, _da ze_!" Yong Soo piped up as he raised his arm.

Immediately, a waitress came up wearing a frilly orange dress. She smiled as she took out a note and pad, "Yes? What would you like to order, sir?"

"I'll have the _mozzarelline fritte_ for an appetizer, the _pasta e fagioli_," Yong Soo was rapidly firing away, and the waitress was quickly scrawling everything down. "The _pizza romana_, beef ravioli, _coda all vaccinara_, and finally for dessert – I'll have the _semifreddo _and some gelato, too!"

"What flavour of gelato would you like, sir?"

Taking a peek at the menu again, Yong Soo responded, "Banana, pistachio and chocolate, _da ze_!"

Emil was quite astounded at the amount of food that Yong Soo had ordered, but the waitress and Feliciano didn't at all seem bothered by it. He tapped his foot under the table and felt some nerves entwine in his stomach – he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Noticing his nervousness, Yong Soo spoke up, "Hey, Emil – no need to worry. I'm sure you'll do fine: just believe in yourself, _da ze_!"

"_Ve_~ he's right, you know~" Feliciano nodded. "I'm positive you'll do really well! You beat all those trainers in Miamolta Forest, and you beat _nonno_, so I know you'll do fine~!"

Emil felt more reassured at those words, and for that, his nerves were less stringy. He couldn't help but give a weak, little smile at their encouraging statements. Patting at his Pokéballs on his belt that contained Fennekin and Piplup, he licked his lips. Though he was very nervous with his stomach acting up and his nerves starting to take over him, along with his heart beginning to beat a little faster in his chest, he felt excited.

So very excited.

He couldn't wait to immerse in his first gym experience.

* * *

**And the next chapter: Emil vs. Miamolta City Gym! Where we will finally see the gym leader in the flesh. 8D**

**Will Emil succeed? How will his first gym battle go? Will things run smoothly, or will it be a disaster? And will Yong Soo be able to finish all of that food? XD**

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst.**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	7. A Normal Beginning! Emil vs Lovino

**Heya guys! Sorry about the long time to update, but here it is! The next chapter where we _finally _go and get into Emil's first Gym battle!**

**Anyway, HUGE thanks to Mirror Night for the fave AND the follow; Nanhty for the fave; RainbowSaga for the follow; and most especially to HoneyBeeGirl94 and LiztheGamer for the reviews! 8D**

HoneyBeeGirl94: **I always saw Yong Soo as being a lot like Barry. X3 I do like him being the rival, but at the same time, he isn't the only rival (I will say it straight away that out of the companions, it'll be Yong Soo, Leon and Michelin who will be Emil's biggest rivals). Thank you so much! :D**

LiztheGamer:** Well, wait no more - here it is. =^^= sorry for taking a _long _time to update. TTwTT**

**Will Emil win his first gym battle? Will he gain the badge? Tune in~**

* * *

When Yong Soo's first order came out, the waitress had a bowl of what appeared to be the _mozzarelline fritte_. Yong Soo eagerly bit into one and melted cheese oozed out from it. Emil stared, feeling a little hungry again. Especially when the aroma wafted into his nostrils and enhanced his senses.

The waitress however beamed in the Icelandic boy's direction, "And you are the one who ordered the Gym challenge?"

Emil blinked, but nodded slowly, "Yeah…"

"Welcome to Miamolta Gym!" the waitress said warmly as she held her serving tray. "Allow me to show you a taste, and be your appetizer!"

Emil's whole face reddened at her words, but he grew on guard when she took a Pokéball out from her frilly dress and engaged him in battle.

Once she was beaten, the waitress gave a squeal, "Wow! You're a trainer with a lot of pepper!" She giggled after their battle, though and exclaimed, "You might have even more pepper than Lovino does~!" With that, she turned around and scurried back to the kitchen before Feliciano could so much as say a word to her.

Though initially disheartened that the pretty girl left so quickly, Feliciano found his pep again at seeing his friend win his first gym trainer battle. "_Ve_~! That was great, Emil!" Feliciano cheered as he continued eating his gelato.

"See? What'd we tell you?" Yong Soo smiled while continuing to devour his appetizer. "You'll be fine!"

Soon after, another waitress appeared, this time with two large plates that were Yong Soo's _pasta e fagioli_, along with the _pizza romana_. The _pasta e fagioli _consisted of small pasta with cannellini beans, olive oil, garlic onions, spices and stewed tomatoes. The _pizza romana _was cut into eight slices and had tomato, mozzarella, capperi and anchovy as toppings. The smell was really delectable, and Emil found himself licking his lips. Feliciano eagerly reached for a slice of the pizza, to which Yong Soo allowed. Yong Soo even gestured at the food in Emil's direction – offering him some.

Emil gratefully took it and even fed Fennekin a slice. Piplup, being the proud Pokémon that it was, however, refused.

Though it wasn't deniable that it still looked like it wanted something to eat.

The waitress however spoke up in the silver-haired youth's direction, "You wanted the Gym challenge order, no?"

"Uh, yes," Emil said slowly as he wiped at his mouth with a napkin.

The waitress chuckled, prompting heat to flow to the Icelandic boy's ears, "The specialty of Miamolta Gym is the full course _'trainer de luxe!' _I'll be your second course~!" And with that, she took out her Pokéball and engaged in a battle with Emil again. However, when she lost, she bowed her head.

Yong Soo finished his _mozzareline fritte _before exclaiming, "That's _really _good, _da ze_!"

The waitress chuckled, "That is one of our most popular dishes!" She then smiled sweetly in Emil's direction, "How about you, _signor_? Did you enjoy the battle~?"

Emil could only let out a stammering yes, inwardly cursing his stutter as the waitress gave another chuckle and left. He smacked his forehead as Yong Soo continued eating with Feliciano. Feliciano was slightly sulky that the waitress didn't pay much attention to him, or give him time to flirt with her, but he teased Emil – claiming that her tone was more flirtatious in regards to the Icelandic boy. Emil's response was to tell Feliciano to shut up with embarrassment.

The third waitress this time had the beef ravioli and _coda alla vaccinara_ on her serving tray. Yong Soo looked just as eager to eat when the food came, which made Emil wonder just how much the Korean could pack it in. Still, with the food looking this amazing and smelling so wonderful, you'd feel hungry, too. The _coda alla vaccinara, _as Feliciano explained, was a modern Roman oxtail stew made from oxtail and various vegetables, most notably celery.

"Oh, man…this is really, really good, _da ze_!" Yong Soo was licking his lips as he gobbled up the food eagerly.

"_Grazie_~" the waitress giggled at the Asian's eating.

"_Ve_~! You are very pretty, _signorina_~!" Feliciano exclaimed. Emil could've sworn he saw the Italian's curl form into a heart.

Just like with any other pretty girl he saw.

"_Grazie_," the waitress said. However, she turned her attention to Emil and cleared her throat, "We are very proud of our menu, which we hope to satisfy every trainer with!" Emil wasted no time to let out Fennekin and Piplup into battle. Upon her defeat, the waitress gave a sheepish chuckle before returning her fainted Pokémon, "You're still so full of spice it appears!"

"Thanks?" Emil wasn't sure if that was meant to be a compliment or not, but either way, he _really _felt pumped. The initial nerves that he felt before in facing the Gym Leader disappeared, and right now he was eager to face him head on.

Yong Soo also seemed to notice it, "Hehe, you look like you're ready now, Emi!"

"No more nerves!" Feliciano cheered, clapping his hands. "That's very, very good~! Plus…" he winked cheekily in the pale-haired trainer's direction. "It looks like the pretty waitresses like you~!"

"I think they just like anyone who beats them in a Pokémon battle," laughed Yong Soo. "They spoke like that to me when Leo and I beat them." He then gave a shrug, "I guess they like strong trainers? Maybe…"

"Probably!"

"I wonder where my dessert is?" Yong Soo wondered as he stretched back onto his seat. "And where are Eri, Mitchie and Leo?"

"_Ve_, didn't Leon say he had somewhere to go?" Feliciano piped up.

"Yeah, he _did_," Yong Soo said slowly. "Just wondering where, though?"

"Hey, you guys!"

Looking up, the boys saw that Michelin and Erika had finally entered the Miamolta City restaurant Gym. Michelin was waving enthusiastically in their direction, accompanied by Erika who gave a calmer one. The two girls sat with the three boys, and declined the offer to order something.

"Wow, so you've already beaten three waitresses?" marvelled Michelin. "Nice one, Emil!"

Emil felt his cheeks redden, but something pleasant bloomed from within with that compliment. "Thanks," he nodded.

"How many more waitresses are there?" asked Erika.

"_Ve_~ from what I remember, there are still two more to go!" Feliciano responded, looking quite eager.

"Good luck, Emil," Erika said with a pleasant smile.

Emil nodded, still blushing at the positive words that his new friends were giving him. However, he definitely felt all the more motivated to continue.

Indeed, the second waitress came out, looking quite serene and graceful. She smiled pleasantly as she prudently placed a platter with a dessert that looked frozen with whipped cream at the top along with two chocolate pieces. The dessert was sitting on a bed of golden leaves and carefully applied chocolate sauce. Everyone stared at it in marvelled wonder. "Your _semifreddo_, sir," the waitress said pleasantly.

"_Kamsahamnida_!" Yong Soo exclaimed, his brown eyes sparkling at the dessert.

"That looks _really _good…" Michelin looked like she was going to drool.

"It's a really pretty, little dessert," Erika smile fondly as she gazed at the food.

"As pretty as the one who served it~!" Feliciano piped up – his curl going into the shape of a heart again.

The waitress chuckled at hearing the compliment, giving a slight bow before turning to Emil. "And, as you ordered, sir – a Gym challenge," she then took out her Pokéball as Emil followed suit. After the battle where he beat her like the others, the waitress looked a little flustered from her loss, but gave another giggle, "Very strong, and very full of pepper and spice – just like the others said~!"

With that, she turned tail and left quickly.

"They really do seem to like you, Emil," Yong Soo chuckled before taking a bite out of his dessert. He seemed to collapse as he gave a very happy groan, "I'm in _heaven_, _da ze_!"

"That _really _looks so good…" Michelin gave a sad sigh. "I should've ordered…"

"Yes, yes you should," Yong Soo grinned mischievously in the Seychellois girl's direction.

Michelin rolled her eyes, "Don't rub it in, Yong Soo."

"There is another waitress coming over," noted Erika.

And indeed, she was right. This waitress had a platter that consisted of Yong Soo's final order, which was the three scoops of gelato. From what Emil could remember, the flavours, he was pretty sure, were banana, pistachio and chocolate. One of the scoops was coloured light yellow, another was a very light brown, while the other was a darker shade with some chips of chocolate in it.

"My gelato, _da ze_!" Yong Soo exclaimed, looking as eager and excited as a child. "Thank you very much!"

"You're very welcome~!" the waitress laughed. However, when she turned to Emil, she became so serious, that the Icelandic boy was highly taken aback at her sudden change of demeanour. "You're already causing quite a buzz in the restaurant with how quickly you're taking out my fellow employers. Let's see how much spice you've got left in you!"

Emil's immediate instinct was to grab at his own Pokéball.

When the waitress lost, Emil was just as stunned when she cried, "You're scorching hot! You haven't simmered at all!" She suddenly ran away quickly, sobbing loudly. The other customers in the restaurant turned their heads in direction to the weeping, but, much to Emil's shock, they looked back to their menus or food.

"W-what…?" Emil was stunned and alarmed – he didn't mean to make a girl cry.

"_Ve_~! Don't go, _signorina_!" Feliciano called. "Let me help and comfort you!"

"What the heck was that?" Michelin asked, just as stunned as Emil was.

"I…I don't know…" Emil stammered.

"I hope she's okay," Erika looked worried. "But in all honesty, she shouldn't have to cry just because she lost…"

"I know, right?" Michelin this time looked a bit annoyed. "It's not Emil's fault he's strong! She should grow up."

Noticing Emil looked really uncomfortable with what just happened, Yong Soo spoke up, "Don't worry about it, Emil! She cried when I beat her – same with Leo. You should've seen the look on Leo's face when he beat her, _da ze_! It was _priceless_!" Remembering that certain event seemed to make Yong Soo break into bursts of giggling.

"I can imagine," Erika herself gave a giggle.

Emil himself tried to imagine it, but found that he couldn't. It was just too weird to see the stoic Asian react in any other way besides indifference or mischief.

All of a sudden, the doors to the kitchen slam open with a loud bang. It caused everyone to jump in their spots.

Emil was stunned to see a man who looked remarkably like Feliciano burst out from the white kitchen. However, upon closer inspection, he had his array of differences. The man had dark brown hair and an olive complexion. His eyes were a very light hazel colour and appeared to be sparking with angry flames. He also had a strange curl, but it was resting at the other side of his head – on the man's right. He was wearing what appeared to be a waiter's outfit with a black vest that had golden buttons, a white dress shirt with cuffs, black trousers, black dress shoes and a black tie. He was also coming in with what appeared to be the restaurant bill and a pen.

"Oi, you!"

Emil felt his whole figure tense upon this man's sharp and angry gaze, "W…what is it?"

"What the hell is your problem making a poor _signorina _cry like that?!" the Italian snarled in a much lower voice than Feliciano's. He jabbed a finger in Emil's face, "You should be ashamed of yourself, you bastard!"

Whereas Emil looked quite affronted at being called a bastard, Feliciano on the other hand, looked extremely ecstatic. "Lovino~!" the bubbly Italian leapt up and immediately threw himself on the other angry Italian. "_Fratello_~!"

"What the-?!" Lovino spluttered before removing Feliciano from his grip. "Feliciano! Get off of me! Now's not the time!"

"But I miss you so much, _fratello_~!" Feliciano called as he got up to wrap his arms around his older brother again.

Emil looked up, _'_This _is Lovino? This is Feliciano's older brother?' _Well, he could definitely see the resemblance between the two brothers, however the differences were also quite jarring with them placed beside each other. _'He's also the Gym Leader…' _remembering that, he sat straight as well.

"You made one of my waitresses cry," Lovino snapped. "You'll pay for making her cry!"

"But it wasn't even Emil's fault!" this time, Michelin cut in, looking thoroughly irritated.

Erika also nodded, "Excuse me, but Emil beat her fairly. It's not fair to be angry at him just because he beat someone in a battle."

Seeing Erika and Michelin, Emil was afraid that Lovino would snap at the both of them. However, to his astonishment, the older Italian's whole demeanour seemed to change.

His scowl suddenly disappeared, the burning spark of anger in his hazel orbs disappeared and was replaced with glittering light. His whole visage seemed to uplift, and even his curl formed into a heart. "Ahh, so I see," Lovino then responded pleasantly; even his whole voice seemed to change, too. The snarl was gone, and it was even replaced with what sounded like a purr.

Emil sighed as he recalled Giorgio from earlier, and the numerous amount of times he had to drag Feliciano away from the Lass girls in Miamolta Forest, "Looks like it really does run in the family…"

"Them Italians," Yong Soo smirked as he continued eating his gelato.

"I notice you are both not eating," Lovino spoke up, he was focusing on both Michelin and Erika. "You are not hungry? Would you like a coffee? Maybe some Fresh Water?"

"Errr, no thanks…" Michelin was highly shocked at the sudden one-eighty that Lovino had gone through.

"I am good, thank you," Erika was amazed at the sudden change, too.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we're good! We're good," Michelin was waving her hands in front of her.

Erika also nodded, though she was doing so quite quickly. "Is that waitress okay?" she questioned in concern.

"She's calming down at the back," Lovino sighed. "I apologize, but she's quite a sensitive _signorina_, she is. She was a trainer not too long ago, and employed a week ago, too."

"Yeah, but that still doesn't give her an excuse to cry just because she loses in a fair battle," Michelin still looked irritated as she put a hand on her hip. "Emil beat her fair and square, and she cried about it!"

"I see your point," Lovino nodded as he rubbed his chin. "It's not so uncommon of her to be like that. But trust me – she bounces back quite quickly whenever a new challenger comes in."

"That's good," Erika sighed in relief.

"Yeah," Michelin nodded. "But she needs to really stop that. Seriously."

"Anyway!" Feliciano spoke up, and pulled on his brother's arm in Emil's direction. "Emil ordered the Gym challenge, _fratello_! He wants to have a battle with you~!"

All of a sudden, Lovino's demeanour changed again – he looked serious and sharp once more, when he looked down at Emil. "You the bastard who ordered the Gym challenge?" Lovino's hazel eyes narrowed as he glared down at Emil.

Emil inwardly cringed, but he made sure not to make his unease known. "Yes, that's me," he replied as calmly as he could.

"Well, you've got a battle, bastard," Lovino sniffed. "Since you beat all of my lovely waitresses." He smacked the bill in front of Yong Soo, "Here's the bill to this bastard, and you…" he clicked his fingers – motioning Emil to follow him. "Come on," he said calmly. "Let's do it, then."

Emil followed Lovino and was surprised at seeing that there was a stadium at the back of the restaurant appearing to be a kind of nice garden. There were some tables outside and some people were also dining there. However, catching sight of the group, they were whispering excitedly and pointing in Emil and Lovino's direction. Lovino stood at one side while Emil went to the other. Yong Soo had brought his gelato with him and seated himself with Feliciano, Michelin and Erika at one of the white tables.

One of the waitresses came out and provided as the referee. She announced, "The challenger is Emil from Heima Town. This will be a two-on-two Pokémon battle! No time limit. The challenger is allowed to substitute Pokémon in battle, while the leader cannot. Let the battle begin!"

Lovino had a hand on his hip as he snorted. He took out a Pokéball from his belt and threw it, "Lillipup, go!"

When the white light disappeared, a light brown canine Pokémon with oval, brown eyes, a red nose, and face covered by an abundance of cream fur landed on its four paws. It had large, pointed ears with a tuft of fur near the base of each, and fur puffed out above its paws. Its back had a spiky, dark blue blaze of fur, and each of its paws had three toes with a blue paw. Its tail was short and tufty.

"Awww! That's so cute!" Michelin squealed in delight. Erika was also gushing over the Pokémon before taking a look in the Pokédex.

"_Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon_," said Erika's Pokédex. "_Though it is a very brave Pokémon, it's also smart enough to check its foe's strength and avoid battle. The long hair around its face provides an amazing radar that lets it sense subtle changes in its surroundings."_

Emil took a deep breath as he gazed at the Pokéballs on his belt, wondering who to use first. After some thought, he finally took one of the balls and called, "Go, Piplup!"

When the light was gone, the Penguin Pokémon chirped, "Plup! Piplup!"

"Okay, then!" the waitress gave a sunny smile before raising her two hands. "Let the battle begin~!"

"Lillipup, Bite!" Lovino called pointing forward.

"Pup, pup!" Lillipup ran forward with its mouth open – baring its sharp canine teeth.

"Piplup, use Bubble!" called Emil.

"Piplup!" the Penguin Pokémon opened its beak, allowing glowing, blue orbs of bubbles to blast forward. The attack hit the Puppy Pokémon, causing Lillipup to blow back a bit.

Taking advantage of the situation, Emil ordered, "Now use Pound!"

Piplup started to run forward with its wing at the ready to lay a smack down on its opponent, when Lovino scoffed. "Tch!" the Italian snorted before calling another command. "Lillipup, Baby-Doll Eyes!"

"What?" Emil looked a bit surprised – what kind of attack was that? He'd never seen it before.

Lillipup gave a cheerful bark as its eyes suddenly started to sparkle, bearing right into Piplup. The Penguin Pokémon then seemed to soften and falter a bit. It raised its wing ready for Pound, but instead of actually pounding the Puppy Pokémon hard, the attack looked more like a tap, if anything.

"What just happened?" questioned Michelin, thoroughly confused.

"Baby-Doll Eyes," explained Erika matter-of-factly. "It is a Fairy-type attack that has increased priority, and lowers the target's Attack stat."

"Wow, no wonder Piplup didn't attack properly," said Feliciano in awe.

Lovino then smirked before ordering, "Now, you Bite!"

"Pup!" and with a loud chomp, Lillipup clamped its teeth down on Piplup's wing – the one that was supposed be used to Pound it with. Piplup gave a shrill squawk as it stated to struggle – trying to get Lillipup to relent. However, the Puppy Pokémon held on tight.

Emil grit his teeth, "Piplup, use Bubble!"

Piplup tried to do the attack, however Lillipup didn't seem to relent at all. Its face did screw up into a slightly pained expression from getting hit in the face by Bubble, but it continued to bite – staying on Piplup's wing.

Seeing that Piplup looked to be in pain, and unsure if the Penguin Pokémon would be able to last through Lillipup's Bite attack, Emil raised his Pokéball, "Piplup, return!" Once Piplup was back in its ball, Emil took his other Pokéball, starting to feel the sweat form at the sides of his head. "Okay, Fennekin, go!"

Once the light disappeared, Fennekin gave a little yip before getting out of its proper sitting posture and into a fighting one, "Fennekin!"

"Fennekin, use Ember!" Emil shouted.

"Fen…" the Fox Pokémon swung its head before opening its mouth – letting loose a bunch of flames. Lillipup squeaked in pain as it was knocked back.

"That looked like a critical hit, _da ze_!" Yong Soo spoke up, eagerly eating his gelato.

"Fine!" Lovino looked noticeably a bit on edge – his curl starting to get crooked. "Lillipup, go Bite!"

"Not this time!" Emil snapped. "Fennekin, one more Ember!"

Both Fennekin and Lillipup ran forward, Lillipup was able to take a Bite on Fennekin's tail. Though giving a bay of both surprise and pain, the Fox Pokémon did _not _look happy. It unleashed the Ember with a lot of force, which knocked Lillipup back again with another yelp. Lillipup tried once more to get up upon Lovino's prompting, only to this time collapse and seeing stars.

"Lillipup is unable to battle," announced the waitress who was refereeing. "Fennekin is the winner!"

Lovino's eyes popped out from his head, "Chigi!" He rubbed his head and returned his Pokémon, however he spoke in a gentler tone once Lillipup was back inside.

"Good job, Fennekin!" Emil called at his Pokémon, his heart beating fast, and feeling really happy with the win. Fennekin was fixing at its tail, but gave a cheerful bark in its trainer's direction for the praise. _'One down, one to go…' _Emil thought to himself as he stared in determination at Lovino's direction.

"You go, Emil!" Michelin cheered happily, punching high in the air as Erika clapped. Yong Soo was also pumping his fist. Emil couldn't help but flush at his new friends cheering for him quite loudly.

"You beat me once," Lovino said quite bluntly. "But, this is it for you now, you white-haired bastard!" Reaching for his second Pokéball, he then shouted, "Go now, Miltank!"

"Miltank!" when the white light subsided, out came a bipedal, bovine Pokémon that had a mostly pink body with a yellow belly, and black, angular markings along its back. A hood-like marking surrounding its face was also black, and there was a pink, triangular mark on its forehead. There were two small horns on the top of its head, large blue eyes, a black nose, and long, black, folly ears with yellow insides. It also had a yellow udder with four pink teats. Its four limbs ended in black, cloven hooves, and its long tail was tipped with a black sphere.

"Whoa…" Emil this time took out his Pokédex.

"_Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon,_" said the Pokédex's electronic voice. "_Miltank gives over five gallons of milk on a daily basis. Its sweet milk is enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike. Its milk is packed with nutrition, making it the ultimate beverage for the sick or weary. People who can't drink milk turn it into yoghurt, and eat it instead._"

"Keep going, Emil!" Yong Soo shouted. "And be careful, _da ze_!"

Emil nodded, "Go Fennekin! Use Ember!"

"Kin!" Fennekin swung its head before unleashing the bursts of flame from the Fire-type attack. The attack hit Miltank, causing the Milk Cow Pokémon to go back after a loud bellow.

"Okay, Miltank?" Lovino questioned, looking at the Pokémon.

The Milk Cow Pokémon gave a slight wince, when everyone saw what appeared to be a burn on its body. "_Ve_! Miltank's got a burn!" exclaimed Feliciano in shock.

"Miltank's attack will be lowered," Erika said. "And it'll continue to get hurt unless treated."

"Emil's got this, then!" Michelin exclaimed happily.

Yong Soo however gave a chuckle as he continued to eat his gelato, "Don't be so sure." With the looks he was getting, the Korean nodded at the battle, "Just look."

"Fennekin, use Scratch!" Emil called. The Fox Pokémon obeyed by running forward with its paw outstretched.

However, Lovino smirked, "Miltank, use Façade!"

"Mil…" all of a sudden, Miltank became surrounded by an orange aura that made its body shine. Then it rushed forward – charging a tackle right into Fennekin. "Tank!"

"Kin!" Fennekin squeaked as it was blown back by the move.

"Fennekin, can you get up?" Emil questioned in alarmed concern. Seeing the Fox Pokémon struggle to get up, he felt a bit relieved. But instantly, he grew alarmed again when Fennekin collapsed. "Fennekin!"

"Fennekin is unable to battle!" spoke up the waitress who was refereeing. "Miltank is the winner!"

"That Miltank just took Fennekin out in one shot!" Michelin exclaimed, looking really worried for Emil.

"Yeah, it took out Fletchling for me," Yong Soo agreed with a nod. "It's tough, but I'm sure that Emil can do it, _da ze_!"

"Miltank must be strong," Erika said quietly. "Façade is a Normal-type move where its power doubles when the user is affected by Poison, Paralysis or Burn. However, even with a Burn, the Attack power is still lowered down unless the Pokémon has Guts as an ability."

Emil bit his bottom lip, starting to feel the pressure. However, after taking a deep breath once he returned and thanked Fennekin, he took his other ball out. "Okay, Piplup, come on out!" the Icelandic boy shouted, releasing the Penguin Pokémon. He was glad that Piplup looked much better rested than before. "You ready?"

"Plup! Piplup!" the Penguin Pokémon nodded in determination.

"Sorry to say," Lovino spoke up. "But I'm not going to lose this one, white-haired bastard! Miltank, use Façade!"

Once more, the Milk Cow Pokémon's body was shining from an orange aura that surrounded it, before charging forward.

"Peck, Piplup!" Emil yelled.

"Plup!" Piplup's beak glowed white as it flew forward and slammed right into Miltank – its beak piercing at it.

"Tank!" suddenly, Miltank gave a loud bellow of shock as the orange aura disappeared and it took shaky steps back in surprise.

Its trainer was just as shocked, "What the hell was that?!"

"Miltank just flinched," Erika spoke up in amazement.

"Come on, Emil! You still got this!" Michelin shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. Yong Soo was also joining in on her cheering.

"You lucky bastard," Lovino snorted. "But so what?! That's not all my Miltank can do! Miltank, use Stomp!"

"Mil!" the Cow Pokémon began running forward before leaping high up into the air, ready to stomp down on Piplup.

"Piplup, use Bubble!" Emil shouted. "Hurry!"

Piplup opened its beak to unleash the myriad of glowing blue orbs that consisted of the Water-type attack. It struck Miltank a couple off types, causing it to blow back. However, as it fell down, it caught itself again, and slammed its trotter down onto Piplup, causing the poor Penguin Pokémon to squawk in pain.

"Use Bubble again!" Emil cried, now starting to get understandably panicked. Piplup followed the order; opening its beak and letting loose more of the Water-type technique onto Miltank.

"Stomp once more!" Lovino shouted as he clicked his fingers. Miltank, once again, leapt up into the air and stomped down onto poor Piplup who gave another trill of pain from the large weight on it. Still, the little Penguin Pokémon looked determined as it got up and blew another Bubble at Miltank.

"Do something, Emil!" Michelin shouted from her spot. "If you don't, Piplup's done for!"

"I…I know," Emil bit his bottom lip as he tried to wrack his brain on what to do. He was really starting to panic – this was only the first Gym, and already it was proving to be tougher than he expected. His heart racing, he looked closely at Miltank.

"Once more, Miltank! This will be it!" Lovino called, looking quite ready. "Stomp!"

Miltank leapt up again, however, that was when Emil noticed something peculiar.

'_Hold on…' _the violet-eyed trainer thought to himself as he saw Miltank jump into the air. _'Miltank got slower…huh. I can use that to my advantage!' _He then shouted, "Piplup, jump up and use Peck!"

"Plup!" Piplup leapt up at a fast speed, and slammed its glowing white beak into Miltank. Despite the small size, the force was so strong and fast, that Piplup was able to offset Miltank's balance and cause it to fly back up in the air.

"Piplup's so strong and fast!" Feliciano marvelled.

"Bubble can lower the Speed of its opponent," Erika sighed in relief. "But that had me so worried…"

"No kidding!" Michelin herself heaved a sigh of relief. "Me, too!"

"Not me!" Yong Soo was grinning from ear-to-ear. "No way my rival would just give up and go down like that, _da ze_!"

"You're faster!" Emil shouted at Piplup. "You can do it! Piplup, use Bubble again!"

"Plup!" Piplup opened its beak and let loose the Water-type attack, which struck at Miltank, knocking it backwards. By now, Miltank was starting to look a bit tired.

Lovino was starting to grit his teeth, "Damn it…Miltank, use Milk Drink!"

"Hurry, Emil!" Yong Soo shouted this time, standing from his seat. "Now's your chance, _da ze_!"

Emil nodded, "Yeah! Piplup, go and use Peck again!"

"Piplup!" the Penguin Pokémon ran forward with its beak glowing white just as Miltank suddenly lowered its head to one of the teats of its udder. It slammed into Miltank with its beak once more, this time causing the Milk Cow Pokémon to bay in pain as it was blown back.

"Miltank!" Lovino shouted in alarm.

"Bubble one more time, Piplup!" Emil called. "Go!"

"Pip…" the Penguin Pokémon opened its beak and unleashed the Water-type attack once more. "Plup!"

Only this time, when it hit Miltank, the Milk Cow Pokémon gave a loud yelp, "Tank! Mil…" before collapsing on its front. "Tank…"

"Miltank is unable to battle!" the waitress announced. "Piplup is the winner! The winner of this match is the challenger, Emil of Heima Town!"

Emil panted slightly, however upon hearing what the waitress had said, everything seemed to stand still for him. His amethyst hues widened as he stood up more properly from his hunched position. The sweat rode down the sides of his head, and his heart was still beating quickly. "I…" he was able to stutter out. "I did it? I won?"

"Plup!" Piplup was nodding quite happily. "Piplup! Pip!"

"We won…" the realization struck the Icelandic boy as a smile then spread across his pale face. "I did it! We did it! We won!" He released Fennekin from its ball to share the good news. Though Fennekin did look tired, it still yipped happily.

"Kin! Fennekin!" it barked in delight. Emil pet his starter Pokémon, "We definitely couldn't have done it without you, Fennekin!"

"You _did_ do it, Emil!" Michelin exclaimed happily. "You did it!"

"That was a great battle," Erika smiled pleasantly. "Congratulations, Emil."

"That's my rival, _da ze_!" Yong Soo threw his gelato cup in the air in triumph.

"_Ve_, that was such an intense battle, Emil!" Feliciano was clapping his hands. He then gave a nervous chuckle, "You did good, too, _fratello_! Maybe next time."

"CHIGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Lovino shouted at the top of his lungs. He smacked his head, his curl all crooked. "_Merda_!" However, after kicking at the dirt, he rubbed at his forehead, and went up to his Miltank. Bending over, he patted its shoulder, "_Stai bene_, _amica mia_?" Noticeably, his voice was quite gentle and much lower.

"Tank~" the Milk Cow Pokémon gave a smile before nodding.

Lovino gave a sigh of relief before standing up again, "Oi, white-haired bastard."

Emil straightened his posture as Piplup looked up curiously, too. "Yes?" he questioned.

"Since you beat my ass, as the official Pokémon League rules say, you get this," Lovino then reached in the pouch that he was wearing around his waist and pulled out a shining piece. It was rectangular and looked like the purple spine of a book. "The Basic Badge is all yours, white-haired bastard. Take it or leave it."

Emil nodded as he took the badge from Lovino. He gazed at it in awe, "My first badge…the Basic Badge!" He then held it up as the customers around the restaurant cheered and applauded – a few whistled. Piplup puffed its chest out, looking very proud, while Fennekin gave a happy howl.

"With the Basic Badge, all your Pokémon's Attack stat increase," said Lovino stiffly. "Oh, and might as well take this, too." He then stretched his hand out in Emil's direction with a disc in his hand.

"Huh?" Emil was surprised, but he took it.

"Just take it!" Lovino snapped, looking irritated.

Not wanting to further the temper of the Italian who lost, Emil took the disc and saw it was white in colour. Michelin, Erika, Yong Soo and Feliciano had come closer to take a look.

"I got one, too," Yong Soo chuckled as he showed a similar disc in his own case. "TM!"

"Technical Machine," Erika looked excited. "What does it contain?"

"That is TM42," Lovino explained, once more his whole demeanour changed when a girl spoke, like his younger brothers. "TM42 contains Façade."

"That's the move Miltank used," Michelin marvelled. "Cool!"

Lovino seemed quite happy to hear that.

"Really?" Emil looked surprised. "Thank you so much, Lovino."

"Tch," Lovino huffed before crossing his arms over his chest. "I give these to _everyone _who beat me. Don't think I gave that to you because I think you're good or anything!"

"Got it," Emil nodded. He now felt that he understood the older Italian, and Italians in general, a bit better. He then placed it in his TM case, and smiled as he placed the Basic Badge in his badge case. "My very first badge…"

"Seven more to go!" Yong Soo grinned as he wrapped an arm around Emil's shoulder. "But it's gonna be a big ride, _da ze_!"

"Oi, and you, you hungry bastard," Lovino spoke up stiffly. "You owe a lot of money for the bill!"

"Well, okay then!" Yong Soo shrugged. However, when Lovino gave him the bill, the Korean boy instantly paled as he screeched, "It cost _that _much?! You've gotta be kidding me, _da ze_!"

Everyone else just laughed as Yong Soo started to flail his arms around.

Emil couldn't help but take another peek at the shining badge that twinkled back at him from its spot in his badge case. He was well on the way to the Pokémon League. He still had a _long _way to go, but with his friends, his Pokémon, and feeling quite pumped and determined to see what else the world would throw at him, he was excited and eager to go forward and be the best Pokémon trainer.

* * *

**And end scene!**

**However, the adventure definitely doesn't end! 8D**

**What will happen to our heroes now? Who will the next gym leader be? What lies in store for Emil and his friends? And will Yong Soo be able to pay that bill? **

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst.**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	8. Finishing in Miamolta - Back to Pochatok

**Sorry for taking a long time, but a lot of things had happened. TTwTT I still have a ton of things to write, but otherwise, I'm getting the hang of things now that my second semester is over. 8'D**

**A HUGE thanks to **A Broken Imagi-NATION **for the follow AND fave; **mimimimi1234 **for the follow AND fave as well; **stormpix **for the follow**; GalaxyWolf2.0 **for the fave; and most especially to **HoneyBeeGirl94 **and **Death by Nosebleed **for the reviews! 8D**

HoneyBeeGirl94:** Because that's how Lovino is - a complete asshole to boys, but a total sweetheart to girls. X3 I actually really like that feature about him because it differentiates from the usual _tsundere _archetype. Even then, I don't think Lovino would be blowing his temper at a woman like that - more likely, he'd be calm and cold. At least, that's how I think. owo and yes, Gym Leader Lovino is awesome. X3**

Death by Nosebleed:** Poor Yong Soo, indeed. XDDDDD and good on Emil, too! :D thank you so much for your reviews. =^^=**

**What shall happen now? What will our group do?**

**Time to tune in~**

* * *

Though it took a while, Yong Soo was able to pay the bill. Sadly, his wallet was empty, which prompted him to sigh in sadness, "Wow…"

"You shouldn't have eaten so much," Leon had scolded when everyone met up at the Pokémon Centre. The rest of the group were a little surprised that he showed up before them. They all decided to take a seat at one of the tables, and regroup for their next move. "How many dishes did you, like, even have?"

"But they were all delicious, _da ze_!" piped up Yong Soo. "Totally worth it!"

"Where did you head off to, Leon?" questioned Michelin as Emil handed his two Pokémon to the nurse at the counter.

"Training and stuff," was the simple response she got.

Michelin shrugged, "Yeah, okay…"

"Thank you," the nurse smiled. "We've raised your Pokémon to full health." She then bowed her head at them, "We hope to see you again!"

Emil simply took his Pokémon back and nodded. He then turned to the rest of the group, "Well…now what?" He was a bit uncertain – though he obviously knew that they should be heading to the next gym and take on the Gym Leader until they got the eight badges, he wasn't sure where to go next.

Erika luckily had the handbook at ready. "The next gym is in Hanakai City," she then flicked to the next page and looked a bit uncertain. "Hmm…"

"What's up, Erika?" Michelin asked curiously.

"Well, in order to get to Hanakai City, we need to get a boat," explained Erika. She then put down the handbook and took out her Town Map. Everyone scooted closer to her as she held it up and pointed at the eastern part of a large mass of land. "That's where we have to go," she clarified. "Hanakai City is here." She then pointed at a part of the mass that was at the west on what appeared to be an island, "And we're here in Miamolta City."

"Wow…" Emil looked at the map. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited – the world may look small on the piece of paper, but he knew the distance was far larger.

"_Ve_~ that looks _really _far!" exclaimed Feliciano as he also gazed in awe at the map. "It's so exciting!"

"Walking's way out of the question," Leon spoke up. "Sure the land's all connected, but it'll take us _months_ before we could even get close to that island…"

Yong Soo laughed, "I'd love to take the trip, but I guess you guys wouldn't be able to handle it."

"I'd accept that challenge, y'know," Michelin quirked an eyebrow as she gave the Korean a competitive spark.

"Someday, maybe," said Leon. "But, the boat totally is the better option. Where could we get a boat?"

"Doesn't Pochatok Town have boats and a port and everything?" inquired Emil as he recalled the ports and the boats. "Can we take a boat there?"

"Yeah, we can try," Michelin nodded slowly.

"Good luck trying to afford one, though," Leon said as he leaned back on his chair. "They do cost a lot."

Feliciano raised a hand, "It wouldn't hurt to try, though~ maybe they can lend us a boat if we surrender to them~!"

"Surrender?" Emil arched an eyebrow. "Why would you want to do that?"

"Anyway!" Yong Soo called loudly. "Let's go to Pochatok Town first to see if we can actually get a boat. Otherwise…" he gave a shrug. "I dunno…"

"We can ask Professor Katyusha for help if we need it," Erika offered. "I am sure she can help us."

"Good plan," Leon nodded.

"For now…" Michelin peered through the window, and yawned. "It's already night-time…"

"_Ve_~! I know the perfect place for us to stay the night!" Feliciano looked eager. "Follow me, everyone~!"

"Is it going to be your house?" questioned Leon.

Feliciano laughed merrily, "_Sí_! _Sí_! My house here with my family~"

"Wouldn't they mind?" Emil asked uncertainly. "I mean, I don't want to intrude on them or anything…"

"Oh, trust me!" Feliciano winked in the pale-haired boy's direction. "They don't mind at all~! In fact, _nonno_ _loves _having visitors at his place~"

"Sounds like he's a bit lonely, actually," Michelin gave a little, nervous chuckle before she and the others followed the bubbly Italian back to the building that was the laboratory of one Professor Romulus Vargas.

When they entered the building, it was still buzzing with workers, and the secretary welcomed them again. Emil pulled Feliciano away from the secretary and lady scientists so that the Italian could get back on track. Feliciano skipped forward – leading them out to what appeared to be a backyard with flowery bushes. There was a white fence that was around the premises, but gave a beautiful view of what appeared to be even more houses, along with the starry sky. Emil couldn't help but gaze in wonder before realizing that there were some steps leading down to the river. However, that's not where they were going to go.

Feliciano instead led them to a pretty large house with sandy coloured bricks and white panes on the windows, as well as a red brick roof. "Here we are~!" he cheered as he knocked on the door.

When they came into the house, they were greeted with the sight of the youngest Italian brother. Giorgio looked quite ecstatic seeing Erika and Michelin and wouldn't stop flirting with them. Feliciano meanwhile went to go and cook in the kitchen. He winked, "Now you can taste my homemade pasta~!"

Throughout that, Emil was getting tired of Giorgio flirting a storm. He heaved a small sigh as he leaned on the expensive looking leather chair. His violet eyes scanned around and he was honestly a bit shocked at how well-off and wealthy the place was. There was a bunch of beautiful paintings lining the walls; white tiles consisted for the floor; red carpets; a polished, mahogany table and chairs; a grand piano; and cabinets with all kinds of plates and glasses everywhere. _'Feliciano's really rich,' _he thought in surprise. _'I wonder why he moved to Heima Town?' _

Judging from outside, the house looked like it can easily hold all of them.

"The pasta is ready~!" Feliciano's voice rang from the kitchen happily.

Dinner was quite a treat. Due to the number of them, and also expecting two more to return, Feliciano had cooked three different kinds of pasta and also laid a basket of fresh bread with some bruschetta nearby. Emil's senses immediately tingled when his nose caught the aroma of the delectable dishes. He was close to drooling, and he could've sworn Michelin was also doing so.

Yong Soo meanwhile gave a little burp – covering it with his fist. "Oh…" he looked at the pasta, but licked his lips. "I just ate a lot…dinner and lunch…lunner?" But gazing at the absolutely inviting food, he sighed, "But…I think I _can _give some room for a little more…"

"You can never have too much pasta~!" Feliciano grinned. "_Buon appetito_~!"

Emil felt his stomach growl a bit – considering he had just gone through a really adrenaline-pumping battle against his first Gym Leader, he felt that this was definitely a good reward for a good day's battle. However, staring at the portions he placed on his plate, he wasn't sure where to start. But what was certain was when he ate them, he could feel his senses absolutely bursting with delight at the deliciousness. One of the dishes was creamy, another was more salty and bitter with a hint of sweetness, while another was more fried. He asked, "Feliciano? This is really good. What are they?"

Feliciano was beaming widely at his new friend's interest in pasta. He pointed at the first one, "It's a creamy carbonara~ it's a pasta dish with eggs, cheese, bacon and black pepper~!" He pointed at the second dish, "That one's arrabbiata penne~ made with tomatoes, red chili, garlic and olive oil~!" He then pointed to the final dish, "Ciceri e Tria~ it's a fried pasta that's also with chickpeas~!"

"You're really amazing at cooking, Feli!" Michelin nodded eagerly – cheeks bulging with food.

"_Grazie_~!" Feliciano was glowing happily.

"I'd love to cook for you someday, _signorina_~" Giorgio winked in the Seychellois girl's direction. "I can cook pasta, too~"

After a pretty warm and welcoming dinner, Feliciano and Giorgio then led them all upstairs to some spare rooms. There appeared to be two spare rooms with two beds, and when Feliciano opened another door, he seemed delighted, which Emil assumed was probably his room.

Going with some more discussing, it was decided that Erika and Michelin got a room to themselves, while the boys slept in the same room. Feliciano then offered to have one of them sleep in his room with him – saying that he'd love to have some company.

The three boys were unsure, but after some discussion, Emil was the one to sleep in Feliciano's room as well. Leon didn't seem eager or willing to share a room with the Italian, and Emil didn't want to share a room with the stone-faced Asian, either, though he'd never say it out loud as that would be rude.

When everyone was set for bed, Emil had changed into his sleepwear and noticed that there was no sleeping bag on the floor. "Wait? Where am I going to sleep, then?" he questioned.

Feliciano laughed, "With me, of course, silly~!"

The Icelandic boy silently cursed the two Asians.

The night was a pretty strange one to say the least. Emil had tried putting a bunch of pillows and cushions between himself and Feliciano, but he found that while he couldn't fall asleep quickly, the Italian did. He could also hear some accordion music playing, along with some merry laughing and chatter outside.

Tossing and turning a little, he could hear the unlocking of a door and footsteps echoing around the hallway.

Freezing in his spot, his heart started to pick up in pace in his chest. He curled a little more inwardly as he tried to slow his heart beating. Emil couldn't help but feel really anxious.

Was a burglar coming in? Or was it one of those weird and wacky Power Ranger looking people from Team what's-it that tried to steal the starter Pokémon at Professor Katyusha's laboratory before?

Hearing some thumping footsteps come upstairs, Emil's heartbeat was picking up even more pace. His eyes widened slightly before he stiffened and tensed his whole body. That was when he heard a familiar voice cursing and swearing in a pretty thick Italian accent.

"Damn bastards…"

Emil calmed down when his eyes caught sight of his badge case. He gave an inaudible sigh when he could hear Giorgio's voice piping up and chattering happily, to which the familiar other voice was muttering and mumbling in response.

Looks like the eldest of the Vargas siblings was home.

Before he could get a goodnight's sleep in preparation for everyone to get back to Pochatok Town, he could feel the bed shift a bit before a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his chest.

He didn't say a word when he could feel something snuggle in his back, along with hearing a little, content, _'Ve~'_

The next morning, Lovino was eating with them, though he sighed, "Should've told me you were coming." He smiled in particular at Erika and Michelin's direction, "I would've been more than happy to cook for you~!"

"Sounds nice," Michelin gave a weak smile, still a bit unnerved at his sudden change of demeanour from swearing to sweet.

"I am sure it would have been lovely," Erika gave a soft smile. "But perhaps another time?"

Lovino gave a good-natured laugh, "_Sí_! Some other time!"

Emil chose to keep silent throughout that – not wanting to revert the eldest Italian's mood. Yong Soo caught his eye from across the table, and the pale-haired trainer could tell that the Asian had similar thoughts as he simply wriggled his eyebrows. Feliciano was gobbling up pasta, while Leon stayed silent throughout the whole meal. Giorgio was still fast asleep.

Either way, once the group was done with breakfast, they said goodbye to Lovino who was going on his way to his restaurant gym.

"_Ve_~! I'll miss you, _fratello_~!" Feliciano cried as he leapt forward and embraced his brother tightly.

Lovino gave an exasperated sigh, "The hell? It's not like we're saying goodbye forever, _idiota_! I know you'll just come back someday, so what's with the goodbye?"

"He's right, Feli," Yong Soo reassured. "When we swing by, we'll definitely come back, _da ze_! I want more of your food – it was delicious!"

"Yeah? Well, you can come back if you want – not like I care if you come to my restaurant and eat my food or anything!" Lovino snapped, but with the way he averted his gaze from the Korean and didn't sound as snippy from before, Emil could tell that he probably didn't mind the Korean coming back. Noticing his brother was still hugging him, Lovino sighed and finally patted Feliciano's head with some hesitation, "There, now go already! You're all going on some journey, right?! This ain't goodbye, forever, so on your way already so you don't have to whine about taking long to come back!"

"Goodbye, _fratello_~!" Feliciano sniffled as he let go and waved. "We'll be back, soon!"

"Tch," Lovino snorted. However, his hazel eyes appeared to soften a fraction, much to Emil's awe. He then raised his own hand to wave back as he called, "_Arrivederci_!"

"Y'know…" Michelin smiled a little as she said softly in Emil's direction. "He may be a bit mean to Feli, but I think he really does care about him a lot."

"Yeah," Emil nodded. "I get that impression, too."

They travelled back through Miamolta Forest again, and once more, Michelin and Yong Soo raced to the other side. Erika was looking all over with interest, while Leon also advanced. Feliciano, once again, clung close to Emil's arm. The Icelandic boy felt a little awkward at the close contact – last night's bedding arrangements certainly didn't minus his feelings in that department.

It was still well into midday when they finally reached Pochatok Town again. Emil admired the view once more – the sun's rays glittering on the surface of the ocean, and how clear the sky looked with the hues of blues compared to the ocean. He couldn't help but feel a little distracted at gazing how pretty the sight was.

Emil actually felt a little excited at going to the port. There were all kinds of boats that were lined at the docks. Rowboats, sailboats and a few yachts. It seemed to be pretty busy with several people running around, and heaving what appeared to be wares as well. However, there seemed to be some kind of bustle with everyone reaching for the boats. "Wonder what's going on?" Emil wondered.

"Bringing in things, it looks like," Michelin responded.

"Most likely trade or something," Yong Soo said.

"_Ve_~ maybe they're bringing in pasta!" Feliciano spoke up hopefully.

"Excuse me, sir," Erika stopped one of the fishermen. "Is it possible if we could possibly please borrow your boat?"

"Not now, missy!" the fisherman responded pretty bluntly and hurriedly. "I'm busy!"

"No need to be rude," Leon scowled in his direction as the fisherman continued going on. "Like, seriously…"

"That's okay, Leon," Erika gave a tired smile. "He was just busy, I am sure. He has a job to do, after all."

"Hey, can you help us for a moment, please?" Michelin called to a sailor this time.

Sadly, she didn't have much luck, either. "Move, girly!" he said briskly and in a no-nonsense manner. "I have a job to do!"

"Well, you didn't have to be rude, y'know!" snapped Michelin as she put her hands on her hips. "Seriously!"

Emil began looking around – surveying the docks to see if someone looked friendly or had time to talk. At the same time, he made sure to quickly move around so that he didn't get knocked around or barged into. Sadly, he still found himself getting mercilessly bumped around.

That was when his violet eyes caught sight of a pretty familiar straw hat.

Squinting his eyes, he could make out the very familiar figure of Quan – the fisherman with the Raichu. He opened his mouth to call his name, but at the same time, he felt a bit shy in doing so. Getting a little annoyed at himself with the sudden shyness, Emil gathered his voice and called out, "H-hey!" Cursing the little stutter, he cleared his throat and tried again, "Hey! Mr Quan!"

The man with the straw hat raised his head a bit and craned his head over. He didn't look at all miffed or surprised to see the group of young trainers. He flicked his hat up a little as they came over. "Appears we meet again quite soon," he murmured as they approached him. "So, how is everything?"

"Well, we got our first badge!" Yong Soo grinned as he slung an arm around Emil's shoulder and yanked Leon to his other side. The Korean then took out his badge case and flashed the Basic Badge that was earned by Lovino. He nudged at Emil, "Show him, Emil!"

Emil felt really embarrassed when he felt the pair of golden eyes settle upon him. However, he quietly and hesitantly took out his badge case and showed it as well. Leon also flashed his.

Quan's expression remained the same, however that little glow in his eyes was flashing with interest. "Excellent," he said in his low and deep tone. "One step closer."

Though the words were few and simple, Emil still felt himself swell with pride at those words. They definitely sounded sincere.

Michelin then spoke up, "Hey, I was wondering, Mr Quan?" When he turned his gaze in her direction, she straightened her posture a bit more. "You're a fisherman, right? Do you happen to have a boat on you?"

Quan simply gazed at her in silence. His golden eyes then darted at the rest of the group who were looking at him in eager anticipation. After peering a bit more, he then heaved a sigh and rubbed the back of his head, "Yes, I do have a boat…"

"There is a _'but'_, though, is there?" Erika asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"Yes, there is," nodded the Vietnamese man. "I do have a boat, but the propeller requires fixing. Sadly, the parts that are necessary to fix it are not in this town."

"Well, where are they?" questioned Yong Soo.

"Krystallair City."

Here, Emil's violet eyes widened slightly. Leon then glanced in his direction, "And that's where your older brother has his gym, right?"

"Your brother is the Gym Leader of Krystallair?" inquired Quan. "Fascinating."

"We can get your propeller for you, _da ze_!" Yong Soo piped up as he gave a salute. He then winked in Emil's direction, "And we can go see your brother, too~"

"Yeah!" Michelin was beaming brightly. "I'd love to meet your brother!"

Emil felt really uncomfortable with the idea of his friends meeting his older brother as he had the tendency to baby him, however at the same time, he couldn't help but want to see him, too. Though he only got one badge so far, and only entered in one city and one town along with one forest, the violet-eyed boy knew that once Quan fixed his boat, then they'd go overseas, and therefore many miles away.

It would most likely take a long time before he could come home again.

"Y-yeah…" he nodded, inwardly cursing at his stutter. He turned to Quan and appeared more determined, "We'll get you a propeller."

"You know where Krystallair City is, right?" the older Asian asked as he put a hand on his hip.

Emil responded, "Yes, I do. We just travel around the other side of Pochatok."

"Good," Quan gave a nod himself. "I'll be waiting, then."

And so, the group decided to go forth again – this time taking the other route to go on their way to Krystallair City. Not only to get a boat propeller to continue with their journey, but to also meet Emil's older brother.

Emil himself still felt both nervous yet a little glad that he could see him again one more time before continuing on.

* * *

**And so looks like if our group wants to have any hopes to reach the next gym, they'll first have to help a certain fisherman. However, in order to do that, they have to go to a certain city to get a certain part.**

**In the meantime, looks like Emil can visit his brother one last time before he leaves for quite a long while.**

**Anyway, what will happen when our heroes reach Krystallair City? What will Lukas say when he sees Emil has won his first badge? What will Emil say?**

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst.**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	9. Goodbye, Big Brother! - Krystallair City

**The next chapter is here. X3**

**HUGE thanks to **misoriri **for the fave and the follow; and to **HoneyBeeGirl94, RainbowSaga **and **Death by Nosebleed **for the reviews~! 8D**

HoneyBeeGirl94:** Yes, they will meet his brother. XD**

RainbowSaga:** You're welcome~ thank you very much! :D**

Death by Nosebleed:** Norway isn't my favourite Nordic, but I do like him. =^^= and yes, stuttering Emil is adorable. X3 thank you so much, and you're welcome~ X3**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy~**

* * *

And so it was that the group continued on to Krystallair City. They took the other route at Pochatok, which was closer to what appeared to be a mountain. It was a bit of a long walk, but everyone just kept trudging on.

"_Ve_…I'm tired…" panted Feliciano as he stopped to breathe. The sweat was dripping at the side of his head. "Are we almost there yet?"

"You're good at running, Feli," Michelin looked surprised. "Why are you so tired?"

"It's because he's good at _running_," Yong Soo was grinning cheekily. "Not walking. Or at the very least, he's good with sprints – not cross country."

Emil didn't feel that tired himself, but admittedly, he felt more nervous and excited, really. Mainly because he was going to see his brother again, and his new friends would meet him for the first time.

After what seemed to be several more minutes, the group finally saw buildings. Immediately, the group set forth in eagerness of seeing the change of scenery, and saw that the city was at the base of a mountain that seemed to be snowing. There was a great opening and good scenery to what appeared to be a channel that widened further until it joined the ocean. Most likely, it joined with Pochatok's body of water as well. However, there was noticeably a bunch of buildings that seemed to be on high platforms, as well as ramps and panels. The water was crystal clear and was glittering with the sun's rays bouncing off of it.

"Krystallair City looks really pretty~" Feliciano was smiling from ear-to-ear and didn't seem as tired anymore.

"It really does," Erika was smiling, too. "It would be nice to just sit down and maybe fish."

"Sadly, none of us have any rods," Yong Soo sighed. "But maybe someday when we get back here."

"So, where do we get the propeller?" questioned Leon. "Do you know, Emil?"

Emil somewhat tensed a little at the question being directed at him, as well as having the five pairs of eyes fix on him. However, he shook his head, "No. Sorry. I just know where the gym, Pokémon centre and mart are."

"I'm sure we'll find it," Michelin smiled reassuringly in Leon's direction. "Why don't we go see Emil's brother and ask him where it is?"

"Hey, yeah!" Yong Soo looked pumped. "That's an awesome idea, _da ze_!"

Emil was once more pretty hesitant with the idea of his new friends meeting his brother, but since they looked so eager, he went forth with their request. He led them down a few alleys and streetways, as well as walking past a couple of houses and even the Pokémon centre. Finally, they reached what appeared to be a set of rocks and stones that were leading up to the side of the mountain where things were starting to get cold.

Feliciano was shivering a bit, "_Ve_…it's suddenly becoming cold!"

"So quickly, too," Michelin was shuddering and holding herself.

"Even the mountain is snowing," Erika remarked. "I honestly thought that it was a trick to the eye."

"D-do we have to climb up any more?" Michelin chattered. "It's starting to get freezing cold!" She found herself unconsciously staying closer to Emil to get some more heat as he was the nearest, "Why?! Why does it have to be so cold?!"

Emil was taken aback at her sudden action, but let her do it as he could feel her trembling from the suddenly frosty breezes that cut at them. He knew that a bunch of Ice Pokémon settled down on Mt Hagl, so it explained why the mountain was chilling. So for that, he explained that set of info outright, "Well, it's because a bunch of Ice Pokémon live up there."

"Really?" Leon looked interested despite having the same facial expression.

The silver-haired youth nodded, "Yep. My brother goes up here a lot to train."

Yong Soo meanwhile looked extremely determined and pumped, "Can't wait to catch some Ice Pokémon, _da ze_!" He also grinned in Emil's direction, "Also can't wait to see your _hyeong _now, he sounds amazing!"

Emil felt a little unpleasant feeling in his stomach move about. He gave a little scowl as he murmured, "Yeah…he's amazing." He knew that it wasn't fair to have this kind of reaction in regards to his older brother, but sadly, he really couldn't help it.

Lukas was indeed quite amazing. He was also very smart and strong, as well as very calm and mature. He took things into stride, and reacted accordingly, in such a composed manner.

He cast a _really _big shadow.

"Well, here it is," Emil remarked as they finally reached a large, three-storey building made from black bricks. The windows were clear, and the flora around it seemed to already be gathering particles of frost. There was a large golden plaque sign that read _"Krystallair Gym" _out in elegant letters.

Nearby, there was also a sign.

Yong Soo peered down to read it aloud, "'_Krystallair City Gym, Leader Lukas. The cold teacher of winter's harshness!'_" Straightening his posture, he put his hands on his hips as he grinned, looking even more pumped, "Your brother sounds strong, Emil!"

Emil only wordlessly nodded. He stepped forward so that the automatic doors slid out of the way to let them through.

Coming inside, everyone was surprised to simply see a small room with a few chairs, a potted plant, and a couple of shelves with books stacked neatly. There was also a small table at the centre with a chess set neatly prepared. Noticeably, there was also an elevator nearby.

Michelin stretched and gave a big sigh of relief as she moved from Emil, "Finally out of the cold and into the heat!"

Looking around, Erika surmised, "I guess we have to take the elevator?"

Emil nodded and moved forward, but as he took a single step there was a dainty _'ding'_ and the elevator's doors suddenly opened. His violet eyes widened when the figure emerged from the elevator.

Said figure was adjusting a dark grey gloves, but upon noticing the group of young trainers before him, he stopped. However, his sapphire orbs widened quickly before a small smile appeared to spread out on his pale face. "Emil," said Lukas. "Hello."

"Hey, Lukas," Emil said a little weakly and warily.

Then just as quickly, Lukas came forward and immediately pulled him into a hug. Emil's face instantly gained heat as he felt his cheeks light up. At first, he tried pushing his big brother away from the chest, but he gave up and let the blonde hug him. It took a while, but Lukas eventually let go, but immediately started checking on his face, "You look fine. Are you alright? How have you been doing?"

Emil immediately felt his face burn worse than ever. He fumbled about as he shoved Lukas' hands away, "I'm fine, Lukas! Seriously! I'm okay!"

Lukas gave a small sigh before another teeny tiny smile morphed onto his pale face, "That's good." Noticing the others that were standing nearby, he straightened his posture slightly before raising his head, "Ah. And who do have here?"

"My friends," answered Emil. It felt a bit strange to say the word as he never had any before, but he liked how it rolled off his tongue. He then started gesturing in their direction as he said their names.

"It is nice to meet you, Emil's big brother," Erika said politely as she gave a little curtsy. Emil still found it interesting how old-fashioned and formal she was, despite her young age.

"The pleasure is all mine," Lukas replied as he suddenly swept up an arm and gave a gentlemanly bow.

"_Ve_~! It's so nice to meet you!" Feliciano was waving happily as he was smiling from ear-to-ear. "So you're Emil's _fratello_!"

Leon himself tilted his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was gazing intently between Emil and Lukas. After what appeared to be some thought, he remarked, "I can see the resemblance." He then stood straight as he murmured, "I am Leon."

Emil didn't like that look the Asian gave him, but arched an eyebrow at his observation. Lukas on the other hand wrapped an arm around his baby brother's shoulders to bring him closer to his being. "It is nice to meet you, Leon," said Lukas.

"It's great to meet you!" Michelin was smiling, however she found herself a little shy in his presence. Admittedly, he was quite handsome. But he had this very cool and proper look about him that made her feel like she should stand up straighter, and mind her manners more.

"The pleasure is all mine," said Lukas as he gave a small nod of his head before offering his hand.

She took it happily, but almost flinched at how ice cold it was. It was like a sudden little jolt.

Noticing her reaction, the blue-eyed blonde released his grip, "Ah, I apologize for that. But I handle Ice-type Pokémon. I constantly stay around them, so I suppose their coldness has rubbed off on me."

Yong Soo then piped up, "Awesome to meet you, Emil's _hyeong_, _da ze_!" He added, "I wanna challenge you to a battle!"

"Seriously, Yong Soo?!" Michelin was incredulous.

Leon himself looked a little annoyed, "I think the first gym's success is, like, going to your head."

"How many badges do you have on you, Yong Soo?" questioned Lukas.

"He has one," said Emil quickly. He gave the Korean a warning look that he shouldn't jump the handle so quickly. There was a reason Lukas wasn't at the start of the Gym Leader line-up.

"Ah, I see," said Lukas in acknowledgement. "Sadly, that is still far too low."

Yong Soo looked highly disappointed as he slumped over, "Awww…" However, he immediately perked back up as he inquired, "How many badges do I need before I can take you on?"

"You need four," responded Erika matter-of-factly.

Lukas nodded in agreement, "Four badges need to be obtained before you can challenge me to a gym battle."

"Okay, then!" Yong Soo was now sprightly again. "Let's go get that propeller part so we can get to Hanakai City, _da ze_!"

"Hanakai City?" Lukas had a little shine of interest in his blue eyes. "So, you are then after the second badge."

"Me, Emil and Leon, _da ze_!" Yong Soo wrapped an arm around Leon's shoulder and gave a thumbs-up in Emil's direction. "We got our first badge in Miamolta City!"

"Is this true?" this time, Lukas was gazing intently at his little brother – giving him full attention. "You have the Basic Badge?" Seeing Emil's hesitant nod, the blonde said in a surprisingly serious tone, "Show it to me."

Emil heaved a sigh, giving a slight huff as he reluctantly pulled out his badges case and opened it. There, sitting proudly in its lonesome was the Basic Badge he earned from Lovino.

The sparkle in Lukas' sapphire eyes glowed even more. He appeared quite proud. And sure enough, he gave a smile that appeared a bit more noticeable. "I'm very proud of you, Emil," he remarked as he then patted his little brother's head. "I'm positive you'll be able to get more badges with your friends."

"Yeah…" Emil rubbed at the back of his neck as he felt his ears heat up. "Well, we can't really get there unless we get to a parts shop and get a boat propeller."

"A boat propeller?" Lukas echoed. "Well, there is a parts shop in the city. It's not hard to miss – it has a silver disk as a roof, and it's dominantly blue and silver in colour."

"Thank you very much, Mr Lukas," said Erika.

"_Ve_~ _grazie_!" Feliciano was clapping his hands. "We can get there now!"

"Already leaving?" questioned Lukas. There was what appeared to be a hint of slight hurt in his eyes at how quickly his little brother was going to leave. "You perhaps don't want to have lunch?"

"Yeah, we really should go," Emil nodded. However, seeing the little piece of unhappiness in his older brother's eyes, the violet-eyed boy spoke up, "But…maybe…maybe next time, okay?"

"Next time sounds good," agreed Lukas quietly. "Now. Let's go, then."

"W-what?" Emil was shocked when his big brother walked past him, and towards the automatic doors of the gym.

"I'll lead you to the parts shop," Lukas said calmly. "Now, let's go."

"You really don't have to, you know," Emil murmured, now frowning. "You just described to us what the place looked like!"

"I insist."

Everyone else exchanged looks, and couldn't help but smile a little (or in Leon's case, have a little light of amusement in his eyes) at the light banter between the two brothers. However, they followed without any other words. And sure enough, Lukas took the head of the group, and was leading them down from the side of Mt Hagl where his gym was located, and into Krystallair City again. Once more, they were walking past a couple of streets and buildings, but luckily there weren't crowds of people that they could get lost into.

However, several times, some people greeted and waved at Lukas. He simply greeted back in a quiet manner, and nod his head in acknowledgement in their direction.

Emil just felt embarrassed at how his older brother was leading him around – as if he were just a child. However, he sighed upon remembering the fact that he and his friends will still take a long time before they can eventually come back.

This was probably Lukas' idea of spending some extra time with him before he'd be gone.

'_I wonder how lonely he feels at home,' _wondered Emil, now feeling a bit bad when he saw Lukas simply give one or two seconds at people who said hi before quickly looking behind his shoulder to check if the young group was still at his heels.

"Here it is," Lukas announced as he stopped in front of a building that had iron plates and what appeared to be a disc that was spinning slowly at the top – providing a roof. The walls were otherwise coloured a very pale blue. "The parts store." Turning his head to the group, he added, "They have all kinds of things in there. Boat parts, machine parts, and a few knickknacks."

"Knickknacks?" echoed Michelin in confusion.

Lukas nodded, "Yes, knickknacks. Now, let's go in."

Entering the store, when he immediately looked around, a sudden group of girls flocked over to him and started piping up – calling his name in excitement. Lukas simply gazed at them, and bowed his head a few times as he responded to their questions and greetings in quick-fire yet calm succession.

Emil just scowled, however he shrugged a shoulder as Feliciano's curl formed into a love heart at seeing the gaggle of girls. "_Ve_~! Look at all the pretty _signorina_ here~!" he looked highly excited.

"Your brother's quite popular," remarked Leon.

"Well, he's pretty good-looking," Yong Soo chuckled. "I'm not surprised, _da ze_!"

"Yeah…" Emil murmured tonelessly.

Michelin didn't like the tone in the Icelandic boy's voice and gave him a look of concern, "Hey, you okay, Emil?"

"Huh?" Emil arched his eyebrows as he shook his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Now, come on – let's find it." Going up to the counter, he asked the man there, "Excuse me, but do you have a boat propeller?"

"A boat propeller?" the man at the counter echoed. However, looking through the parts at a shelf behind him, he suddenly yanked out a good boat propeller and placed it onto the counter. "That'll cost you, though."

"How much?" Erika questioned.

"Quite a lot, kid."

Emil had a sinking feeling in his stomach as he knew he definitely didn't have a lot of money on him. He exchanged looks with his friends to see that they also blanched. Yong Soo simply pulled out his wallet and grimaced at its emptiness.

"I'll pay for it," a voice spoke up.

"O-oh! Mr Lukas!" the man at the counter suddenly looked highly flustered. "Ah, so these kids are with you, then?"

"My little brother, and his friends," Lukas explained as he pulled out a pouch and took out some money. After putting it on the counter, he put his pouch away and wrapped an arm around Emil's shoulders. Emil's ears burned even worse than before as he stiffened – hating how the other customers and the group of girls were whispering and pointing in his direction.

"Ah~ so _this _is Emil," the man was grinning as he accepted the money. "Your big brother's one hell of a fighter – you must be just as amazing!"

Emil blushed at the compliment. He rubbed the back of his head, "Y-yeah…" Wow, he was stuttering a lot nowadays.

"What's the propeller for, anyway?" the man asked.

"We're gonna go to Hanakai City, _da ze_!" piped up Yong Soo. "To fight the Gym Leader there!"

"Ahhh, so I see!" the man at the counter laughed. "Obviously you're going to take a boat! I guess the one you're taking is broken, since you need the propeller." He patted it before handing it over to Emil. "I wish you luck, youngsters."

Emil almost fell over with a startled gasp – it was much heavier than it looked.

Yong Soo then came forward and offered his hands, "Here, let me."

Emil gratefully gave it to the Korean boy, but stared with no amusement at how easily the more muscular boy was able to carry it with ease. After they all thanked the shopkeeper, they immediately left the store, to which the girls appeared highly disappointed and sad at Lukas leaving. Emil had to hold onto Feliciano so he didn't skip up to them and start flirting with them while he provided comfort.

"We better take this back to Mr Quan," said Leon. "He could be, like, worried about us."

"Yeah!" Yong Soo looked eager. "I can't wait to get to Hanakai City, _da ze_!"

"Yes," Lukas nodded. "I guess you better go, then…"

"Y-yeah…" Emil licked his lips. Seeing that his older brother looked a bit subdued and became very silent again, the violet-eyed boy then spoke up, "Hey, Lukas…" When his big brother looked at his direction, Emil licked his lips again as he spoke up, "Don't worry, okay? We'll be back in no time."

Lukas stared back at his little brother for a moment – elegant eyebrows arched up a little. Then he reached over and embraced his little brother once more. Emil's eyes widened again at the intimate and close action from his big brother, but he raised his hands up to hug him back. Lukas was holding him quite closely and tightly in that embrace.

And for a moment, Emil forgot that his friends were there, too.

However, once he and Lukas released their grip on each other, Emil felt his whole face grow hot, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel sad again.

It was like that little twinge of sadness that he felt when he left his home at first.

"Good luck to you all," Lukas nodded his head at them all as he then raised a hand to wave. "I am looking forward to battling you someday."

"_Ve_~ goodbye, Emil's _fratello_!" Feliciano piped up as he waved.

"It was really nice meeting you, Mr Lukas," agreed Erika, also waving.

"Yeah, it really was!" Michelin called as well.

Leon wordlessly followed suit simply, while Yong Soo raised his head to call his own goodbyes since he was carrying the boat propeller.

Emil turned to his big brother one more time before calling, "We'll come back!" He gave a deep breath as he thought to himself,_ 'And then we can battle after we see each other again.'_

Reaching back Pochatok Town, it was the afternoon, but the sun was still shining high. However, the hurrying and rushing people were noticeably much less than before, so thankfully there was no more bumps and bruises.

Still, Quan was at the docks, leaning back against a rather old boat with his arms crossed over his chest. His straw hat obscuring his face.

"Hey! Mr Quan! We got your propeller, _da ze_!" Yong Soo shouted.

Flicking his hat up, Quan looked highly satisfied, "Thank you and good job." He then released Raichu from its Pokéball, and said, "Raichu, stay on board until I give you the signal, okay?"

Raichu nodded as it leapt up onto the boat. Gazing at the boat, Emil saw that some of the paint had faded from its surface, and there were a lot of scratches and chips as well. However, it had a cover for the controls and captain, and it looked like it could fit everyone pretty well.

Quan fixed the propeller in the next hour underwater. At first offering help, the Vietnamese man politely declined as he fixed the propeller. A few times he had to swim to the surface and catch a breath, but just as quickly, he'd dive back down. And once his job was complete, he heaved himself up to the docks, and put his index and middle fingers into his mouth to let loose a shrill whistle.

Raichu then let loose a bolt of electricity to get the motor running, and immediately, the boat was brought to life.

"Good," Quan gave a sigh of relief as he removed his hat and waved at his face a little. He was sweating quite a bit, and his clothes were heavy from how wet they were.

"Yay!" Feliciano was ecstatic as he clapped his boats.

"We can go to Hanakai City now!" Michelin also looked pumped.

"And go to the second gym, _da ze_!" Yong Soo was leaping up and down in delight as he punched his fists in the air.

Leon and Erika were simply quite calm, but appeared really happy with the good news, too.

Emil himself felt a huge burst of happiness take place from within him, but he was able to contain himself from jumping up and down and probably causing a huge embarrassment of himself. So instead, he turned to Quan's direction and thanked him, "T-thank you very much, Mr Quan."

Again he had to stutter, it was becoming annoying.

Quan simply dipped his head as he responded, "I have to thank you lot. My boat needed a new propeller, but thanks to you, it was quick. Now, as a reward for your efforts, why don't I take you to Hanakai City?"

Everyone climbed aboard the boat in eagerness as Quan had placed a little ramp so they could step on board. A few times, the boat was rocking gently, but everyone was excited as they sat at seats that Quan had gestured at for them to settle down.

Emil felt his heart start to beat faster when Quan himself boarded the boat and returned Raichu to its ball after a quick thank you. When the motor roared, the boat then burst forth in a suddenly alarming speed.

Immediately, everyone gave loud yelps, squeals or laughs of surprise, shock and wonder. Emil himself was holding onto the boat's edge as he felt the wind fly through his hair. His amethyst eyes were sparkling in excitement as he looked past Quan's boat to see that they were now exiting Pochatok and into vast ocean.

However, looking back, he noticed that the town of Pochatok was getting smaller and smaller.

And by that extension, his distance from his home and his big brother was now bigger and bigger.

Though feeling a little twinge at his heart again at the thought of Lukas staying at home all by himself and eating open sandwiches in his lonesome, Emil knew that he didn't have to worry about his big brother.

Someday, he'd come back, anyway.

* * *

**So ends the chapter once more as our heroes are now on a boat with a fisherman friend to reach their next destination.**

**What will happen when our heroes reach Hanakai City? Will the second gym battle go according to plan? What will Quan be doing while they're off dilly-dallying? How many open sandwiches will Lukas eat back home without his little brother?**

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst.**

**Also, if anyone's interested, I wrote another story called ****The Chase where it's primarily an Uta no Prince-sama story, but Hetalia characters appear in it as human quiz masters (in a Hetalia perspective, it'd be a human AU). Haha, yeah I know: just a little shameless self-advertising. ;w;**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


	10. Hanakai City: Hello, Yamato Nadeshiko!

**Heyo, another chapter here. X3**

**However, there's something I want to address first and foremost - I'm not going to answer questions like _"Is insert character going to be in this story?" _or _"Will there be insert pairing?" _Simply because for the characters part, I want it to be a surprise for my readers, and me telling will just spoil the surprise. Maybe I might make some guessing games or something at the end of the chapter when someone important is going to pop up in the next chapter, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not. For the pairings one, there won't be any official pairings in this story, though there'll definitely be a number that are teased.**

**Please respect this rule. I'm not going to repeat in future chapters, and will simply just not say anything at all. ;w;**

**Now that that's done, HUGE thanks to **HoneyBeeGirl94**, **RainbowSaga**, **A Broken Imagi-NATION **and **Death by Nosebleed **for the reviews. =^^=**

HoneyBeeGirl94:** That's generally the idea of Emil and Lukas' relationship - Emil feels that he's not only in Lukas' shadow, but that he must be like him. However, he wants to be his own person as well. Hence why he's going on a Pokemon journey to prove he's not Lukas, but rather, better or different to him. owo**

RainbowSaga:** Nope! The second gym leader will be revealed in this chapter. As I mentioned before, I'm not going to answer questions that ask if a certain nation will appear.**

A Broken Imagi-NATION:** As I mentioned before, I won't answer questions that ask if a certain character appears.**

Death by Nosebleed:** Lonely Lukas does sound pretty sad. TTwTT he misses his baby brother, but sadly, said baby brother has to go on a journey...otherwise there'd be no story. XD thank you~ X3**

**Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

**Hope you enjoy~**

* * *

They were sailing on the sea as Quan didn't relent the boat's speed. Naturally, this prompted everyone to hold on tight to the boat's edge as it started rocking a bit as Quan turned the boat a few times as well.

Emil honestly felt like he was flying as the wind rushed past his hair and his face. The boat's motor was roaring, but he didn't at all mind the noise as they continued on.

Yong Soo even raised his fist as he yelled, "Whoo! This is _awesome_, _da ze_!"

"Yeah!" Michelin agreed in an excited shout.

"_Ve_~! We're going so fast~!" Feliciano squeaked as he held on, but he laughed a bit.

Leon meanwhile was clinging onto the boat's edge, appearing totally out of his comfort zone and unnerved. Erika meanwhile looked green in the face. She was clutching at her stomach, then her head as she gave a little groan, "Mm…ohh…"

"Hey, you alright, Erika?" questioned Michelin in concern. "You look a little sick."

Erika nodded, "I get…seasick." She immediately looked like she was going to puke at any minute.

"We're almost there," Quan called from over his shoulder as he continued commandeering. "_Then_ you can let go of your lunch." After a few more minutes, the Vietnamese man then spoke up, "And we're here. Hanakai City."

Emil however felt a bit disappointed once the boat stopped at some docks. He truly loved how fast it was going, and feeling the breeze, as well as the smell of the salty sea. But looking around, he felt excitement come through him again.

Hanakai City appeared very differently to all the places they were at before. For instance, the buildings were of a different structure consisting of tiled roofs and what appeared to be plaster walls. Noticeably, the doors had no knobs on them as well. Additionally, there were quite a number of trees around the great city, and there seemed to be some stone structures. There was also noticeably what appeared to be some kind of path that was leading downwards of a distance.

"So, this is Hanakai City, huh?" Michelin Soo was gazing around in wonder. "Pretty different compared to places we've been so far."

"_Ve_~ are you alright, Erika?" Feliciano asked in worry when the green-eyed blonde finally looked like she couldn't take it anymore. And so for that, she actually leaned her head over the edge and took big, deep breaths.

Quan came forward with what appeared to be a bottle. He patted her back and passed it to her, "Take it. Some Fresh Water. It should help."

It turned out she didn't actually retch, but she definitely seemed close to it. Gratefully, she took the Fresh Water from him, and gulped it down. After thanking him politely, Quan helped her off the boat. Likewise, everyone followed suit onto the docks to take a proper look of the place.

Emil noticed a couple of trees that were towering above him and had what appeared to be really beautiful pale pink blossoms on them. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight of them – they were very lovely, and seemed to add a great palette of vibrant colour to this painting of a city. Noticing a sign nearby, he read it to himself, _'Hanakai City. The historical city of the rising sun.'_

"Hey, Mr Quan?" Yong Soo piped up. When the Vietnamese man looked up to show he was listening, he continued, "Where's the gym around here?"

Quan responded, "It's actually close to the theatre. I can lead you there – I have business to attend to, myself."

"Business?" Leon arched an eyebrow. "What kind of business?"

"My business," responded Quan, though he didn't seem inclined to share what it was. This prompted the younger Asian to simply scowl in his direction. Regardless, he wordlessly followed him with the rest of the group. At the head, Quan led them past a number of houses until they were walking at a certain path that had those beautiful, flowering trees on both sides.

Looking up, Emil could make out points of sunlight shimmering between the leaves and flowers of the trees. It made the blossoms seem to glow.

However, coming more into the centre of the city, Emil was surprised at seeing more modern looking buildings. There were a couple of apartment buildings, and some larger buildings that looked like normal work buildings, along with some buildings with tin rooves and bricked structures.

Noticing his gaze, Quan explained, "This city combines both its traditions and modernity. It tries to teach its traditional practices onto its youngsters."

"Sounds pretty cool," marvelled Michelin.

"It's fine with teaching outsiders as long as you're respectful to their culture," added Quan. "It's secluded on an island, after all." He then stopped at a set of stone steps and led them up to a rather wide building that had an extravagant tiled roof with what appeared to be a carp swimming with its head raised. There was what appeared to be characters that were finely crafted onto a sign with what appeared to be a calligraphy brush. "And here it is, the Hanakai City gym," he said simply as they climbed the steps.

Once they were there, Emil and his companions circled around the sign. "_'Hanakai City Gym'_," read Michelin aloud. "_'Leader Sakura. The nature-loving yamato nadeshiko!'_"

"_Ve_~ what is that?" questioned Feliciano. "But either way, she sounds really pretty~ Sakura sounds like a beautiful _signorina_ name!"

"A _yamato nadeshiko _is basically a traditional Japanese woman," answered Quan as he tipped his hat. "Or at least, the epitome of what is considered the epitome of pure, feminine beauty in regards to the Japanese, and majority of the East."

"She sounds really, _really_ pretty~" Feliciano looked really eager. "I'd love to meet her!"

"Epitome of pure, feminine beauty?" Michelin noticeably looked a bit uncomfortable, Emil noticed. He was wondering why she seemed a bit uneasy about that statement, but before he could ask her, Quan slid the sliding door open.

Entering the gym, there were two stone statues that appeared to be in the form of dragons. They looked pretty noble and dignified with sleek figures and their heads held high. Their eyes meanwhile were looking down at them.

Emil noticed a bunch of names inscribed, and figured out that this was probably the gym statues. Looking around, he was wondering where the gym itself was.

Quan then gestured for them to follow him – leading them to a corridor with wooden floors. There were some more sliding doors, when eventually Quan reached a room where the sliding door was a little open. He then raised a finger to his lips – prompting the group to stay silent, before beckoning them to come close. It seemed he wanted them to watch something.

So for that, everyone moved close but made sure to stay quiet.

Emil peeked through the crack and saw what appeared to be a room with straw mats where a bunch of people were sitting down on cushions. There were also very long tables with potted plants and flowers of many kinds.

However, at the very front of the room, there was a woman.

An Asian woman with her black hair in the style of a bob-cut, she also had what appeared to be a kind of golden hair ornament as well. She had warm brown eyes, and was wearing a _hakama_ that was pale pink at the top, and purple at the bottom. She was also wearing socks and _zori_. Currently, she was attending to a plant on a table of her own – her expression serene and content with a little smile on her face.

For a while they watched closely at the woman who was very delicately tending to the plant. She daintily took a long stem and very prudently placed it in a certain spot. Likewise, she did so with a few twigs, and a flower as well.

"See that woman over there?" whispered Quan.

"She's really pretty," breathed Michelin. Erika agreed with a nod as she took a small sip from the Fresh Water Quan gave her.

Feliciano appeared to have love hearts in his eyes as his curl also formed into a heart. Emil wasn't surprised at all from his reaction. "_Ve_~ I'll say~" he sighed dreamily.

"What's she doing?" Yong Soo wondered.

"_Ikebana_," replied Quan. "Flower arrangement."

Once she was complete, the woman then clapped her hands together, "Alright, class. That will be all for today." There were a few groans from the students, which she gave a little smile at, "I know, it's already that time, but we have another class next week! I hope to see what you can do with your first flower arrangement. Thank you for attending." She then clasped her hands in her lap and bowed down.

At once, the students stood up, and stretched a bit. Then, they were heading towards the sliding door where Emil and the others were. Immediately, everyone scooted out of the way to allow the students to leave.

Once they were all gone, Quan entered the room and surveyed the plants. "I was never able to do that," he murmured. He then took off his hat and bowed in the woman's direction, "Hello there, Sakura."

Sakura then stood up and bowed down in his direction – hands still clasped together at her front. Her eyes seemed to light up upon the sight of the golden-eyed man, "Hello there, Quan. To what may the pleasure be of having you here?"

Quan straightened his posture before moving slightly out of the way so that Emil, Yong Soo, Michelin, Erika, Feliciano and Leon were in sight. "These youngsters were hoping to have a gym battle with you," he explained.

"Well, Emil, Yong Soo and Leon, really," Michelin chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Ah, so I see," said Sakura. "Well, perhaps this evening, then? You see, I have another class coming for tea ceremony." She then smiled softly at him, "Perhaps you and the young ones would like to join me?"

"Tea, huh? Sounds good, _da ze_!" Yong Soo piped up.

"A spot of tea sounds lovely," agreed Erika with a smile.

Sakura gave a little chuckle at their eagerness before adding at Quan's direction, "You were quite good at tea ceremony, last time I remembered."

Much to Emil's surprise, Quan's cheeks suddenly took a tinge of red as he then cleared his throat. However, the Vietnamese man replied, "It has been far too long since I practiced tea ceremony. Even then, how I was taught, is probably much different to yours."

"It would still be nice if you could join, regardless," said Sakura.

"Perhaps," said Quan slowly.

"But anyway, it is nice to meet you, young ones," said Sakura sincerely as she bowed in direction of the group. "I am Sakura, and I am the Gym Leader of Hanakai City. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Remembering Quan's actions, Emil bowed in response. Erika had also bowed down along with Leon and Yong Soo. Michelin quickly followed suit, as did Feliciano. "It's nice to meet you, too," said Emil, though he felt his face heat up when she continued surveying them quite serenely.

Suddenly, Feliciano piped up, "_Ve_~ it's so nice to meet you~!" He then skipped a bit forward looking quite giddy, "You are so beautiful~!"

Luckily, he was stopped by Quan who had grabbed the back of his shirt in quick succession. Sakura herself looked really startled at Feliciano's sudden action, but composed herself again. Still, she looked a bit unsettled from his action.

"Sorry about that," apologized Emil, feeling quite embarrassed.

"It is nothing," Sakura replied, giving a weak smile. "My customs are pretty different to yours, I am sure."

"But anyway, Ms Sakura?" Yong Soo spoke up.

"Yes, what is it?" questioned Sakura. "Is it to do with wanting a battle with me?"

"Yeah!" Yong Soo looked really pumped. "I challenge you to a Pokémon battle, _da ze_!"

Sakura blinked at him, but smiled softly, "As I had mentioned before – I am glad to engage in a battle with you and anyone else from your group. However, that will have to wait until the evening. I have some more classes coming in."

"Just be patient, Yong!" Michelin grumbled under her breath as she elbowed him.

Yong Soo didn't look at all deterred, "Well, okay then! This evening, I'm gonna battle you, _da ze_!"

"Looks like you're going first again," Leon sighed. He then looked in Emil's direction, "You wanna go after him, or do you, like, want me to?"

Emil stared back at him before shrugging, "I don't mind."

"Why not just do rock-paper-scissors?" suggested Erika.

Leon shook his head, "Don't have to. I'll go after Yong Soo. Emil can go last."

Emil scowled at the way Leon said _'last'_, but chose to ignore him. Gazing at the plant that was on the table Sakura was at, he was curious to ask more about flower arranging or _'ikebana' _as it was apparently called, but he felt too embarrassed to do so.

However, Sakura seemed to notice him quickly, "Ah, are you interested in this plant?" She then ushered them towards the beautiful structure of stems, twigs and a flower. "It was my demonstration for my _ikebana _class."

"How do you make it like that?" questioned Emil. Realizing how blunt it sounded, he rubbed at his arm, "Sorry, I mean…like…" words failed on him – he didn't know how to ask or explain, really.

Sakura however gave a giggle, "Don't worry, I understand what you mean. How do I craft it into how it appears?" Seeing him nod wordlessly, she mentioned, "There is a certain spontaneity when it comes to _ikebana_. However, there is also the appreciation for the beauty in things you don't usually notice in plants. For instance…" she held up one of the stems. "When it comes to flowers, most people only notice the petals of the flower. They never pay any attention to the stem. How sleek yet strong it is to carry multiple petals of the flower up."

Emil was watching quite closely. Though he was still a bit taken aback at the explanation she gave, he did have an inkling of understanding. He became alarmed when she suddenly extended her hand and passed the stem to him.

"Would you like to give it a try?" she questioned.

He inwardly panicked. However, feeling the pairs of eyes staring at him intently, he shakily got the stem, and inwardly cursed at how nervous he was. Still, Sakura ushered him to come close and prompted him to look at an empty pot. Looking down, he wasn't sure where to put the stem. After giving some thought he stuck the stem in, but gazing at it, he felt pretty stupid.

Especially when compared to Sakura's beautiful piece right next to it.

Sakura however looked quite happy at seeing him do it. "You then add more things – a flower, perhaps some twigs and leaves as well," she said. "But a key aspect in _ikebana _is minimalism."

"Minimalism?" inquired Leon.

Sakura nodded, "An arrangement may consist of only a little number of flowers among the stalks and leaves. Likewise, sometimes less is more."

Suddenly, a voice called out, "Sakura-san! Sakura-san!"

Turning in direction to the voice, in burst a young man with short, light brown hair, golden eyes, and wearing a sweater vest, khakis, as well as a cap that was on backwards. He was followed with what appeared to be a cat.

"Tsukomi-kun?" Sakura looked surprised. However, seeing him pant, she raised a hand, "Catch your breath first, please." Once he did so after clutching at his knees, she then questioned, "What is it? You looked concerned about something."

"It's the Slowpoke Well!" exclaimed Tsukomi. "A bunch of strangers are invading there and cutting Slowpoke tails for sale!"

Emil stared in shock, "Slowpoke…tails…?!"

"A Slowpoke Tail sells high in the black market," said Leon as he narrowed his eyes.

"What a cruel thing to do to the Slowpoke!" Erika herself looked appalled at the news of what was happening.

"Poor Slowpoke!" Feliciano cried.

Sakura clapped a hand to her mouth as her brown eyes widened, "How horrible!" She then grabbed something from her table which appeared to be some sort of dagger, before declaring in a suddenly deathly soft voice, "They need to be taught a lesson in pain."

"Hold on a moment," Quan spoke up. "Allow me to come with you."

"Us, too!" Yong Soo spoke up as he gestured at himself and the group. "We'll come and save the Slowpokes!"

"How many people are aware of this situation?" Quan inquired Tsukomi. "How many?" he then barked.

Squeaking at Quan's sudden change of tone, Tsukomi yelped, "Just Sakura-san, and you guys! I didn't wanna tell anyone else, because I knew they'd panic and cause a fuss, so I wanted to go to Sakura-san, first! Because I know she'd be able to beat them out of the well! She's our Gym Leader, after all!" Here his eyes were shining in adoration in the Japanese woman's direction.

"You do not have to come with me," said Sakura. "But your assistance will be gratefully accepted."

"We'll come," insisted Emil with a nod. He had a suspicion on who they were going to face in the Slowpoke Well, but whoever they were, they weren't going to get away with it.

"Very well, then," Sakura nodded. "Then follow me, and I shall take us to the Slowpoke Well."

"Allow me to lead, Sakura-san!" Tsukomi piped up as he stood straight.

However, Sakura shook her head, "No, I would like you to do something for me."

"S-sure thing!" Tsukomi nodded. "Anything, Sakura-san!"

"I want you to write a note about how I will be very late," explained Sakura. "Once that is done, place it down on the table with the _maneki-neko _at the first room of the gym, then follow us shortly."

"_Hai_, Sakura-san!"

She then immediately led them out of the Hanakai City gym as Tsukomi fumbled around for a piece of paper and pen. Everyone hurriedly made their way through Hanakai City in a great rush. A couple of people noticed them rush on by – especially because Sakura was with them, but they simply whispered among themselves rather than invade in someone else's business. Emil was very thankful for that. They were running for quite a long time past many buildings and trees – the Icelandic boy was highly surprised at how swift Sakura was on her feet despite her stature and the clothes she was wearing appearing to be a lot. Eventually, they headed towards that strange path that was sloping downwards.

"Here it is," said Sakura as they finally went down to the bottom of the path to some rather muddy ground and at a stone well. She gestured to the ladder, "We climb down, and we enter the well. This is where the Slowpoke make their home."

"Whoa…" Emil peered down the well to see that it was pretty deep. Falling down would definitely hurt. Likewise, everyone else also looked down, appearing quite impressed.

"There is one last thing to take care of, though," said Sakura. "Some people come down here to train or just visit the Slowpoke. So, there is a matter we have to deal with."

Michelin appeared a little confused, "So…anyone who wants to go in, right?"

"Precisely," said Quan with a nod. "Tsukomi had said that we are the only ones who know about what is occurring in the Slowpoke Well. Therefore, we need someone, maybe even two people, to stay up here to prevent people from climbing down and entering a fight, which I suspect will happen."

"So…who wants to stay up here, then?" asked Emil a little unsure.

"_Ve_~ I can stay up here," offered Feliciano. "I don't wanna battle mean people…" he shuddered.

"Who else?" wondered Erika.

"I can stay up here, as well," said Leon with a nod.

"Really?" Yong Soo arched an eyebrow. "You don't want any part of the action?"

Leon rolled his eyes, "That's not the reason why. Someone has to, like, watch Feli, and be able to convince people not to climb down the well. I totally have the power of persuasion."

"He's got a point," said Michelin. "He _is _pretty persuasive."

"Very well," said Quan. "Now…I'll climb down first, then the rest of you follow when I hit the ladder three times. If I tried shouting, that'll probably alert the intruders."

"I shall climb last," said Sakura. "Just please, make haste."

Quan nodded as he immediately started climbing down the ladder. Once he was at the bottom, he then knocked on the ladder three times.

Hearing the knocking, Yong Soo scrambled to the ladder as he climbed down quickly. When that was done, there was another sound of the ladder being knocked three times.

This time, Emil chose to climb down. He gripped onto the runs as he gazed down at the bottom of the well where Quan and Yong Soo were waiting expectantly. Swallowing, he carefully made his way down the ladder and into the well.

The closer to the bottom he got, the lesser the light became.

* * *

**And end scene!**

**Who are the invaders in the Slowpoke Well? What will happen down there? **

**Tune in next time on Poketalia Edition: Amethyst.**

**Peace out!  
\- Hebi-Kazechi-10**


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